THE STAGE and the opponent will be very different, but Carlton coach Brett Ratten doesn't want to see any drop-off in intensity from his players this weekend.

The Blues will host Fremantle in front of a modest attendance at Gold Coast Stadium on Saturday – after battling the reigning premier in front of almost 70,000 at the MCG last weekend – but Ratten maintains it shouldn't matter who's watching.

"I think that's [got to do] with the quality of your team and I suppose the growth or maturity of your team," he said on Wednesday.

"Regardless if there are 10 people [watching] or 150,000, it doesn't change your approach and your mind-set.

"I think more for us the challenge is to back up the intensity of last week's performance … to replicate that will be the key for us.

"If you want to take the next step, you need to win games you're expected to win or favoured to win."

Of particular concern to Ratten is the form of resurgent Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich.

"I think the move of Pavlich into the middle has really stiffened their onball brigade and given them drive around the stoppages again. He's been a key factor in their improvement," he said.

"He's a big-bodied player and he's in really good touch. In the Bunbury game we played before the season he tried to pick up Chris Judd a fair bit.

I wonder if they’ll go down that path again? It would be a great battle."

However, Ratten wasn't bothered by the prospect of playing a home game on the Gold Coast and said it was an excellent opportunity to spread the club's brand and hopefully attract new supporters and sponsors.

He was coy on any line-up changes for the clash, but said full-forward Brendan Fevola had been "fairly upbeat" in the wake of his agonising last-minute miss that cost the club victory against the Hawks.

"We had our review and talked about it a fair bit – not the incident, but just the game itself – and he was disappointed, but I think … in the first half we let ourselves down," Ratten said.

"We had 31 inside 50s to 19 and you go in behind at half time. It was a little bit deflating for the group."

First-round draftee Chris Yarran is no closer to playing senior football after being held out of the VFL with hamstring soreness last weekend, but Ratten urged fans to be patient.

"He will play senior footy this year. When? I don't know, but we've just got to make sure that we don't get any injuries that become long-term and we mentally scar him," Ratten said.

"I haven't seen too many players with his tricks and what he brings to the table. He's very clever with the football on the left or the right. He's a magician with the ball.

"It would be great to get him in and show his stuff."