Carlton has a bye in round 13, giving players time to refresh, refocus and recover.

But Coach Mick Malthouse says there won’t be too much downtime.

“We’ll have a very, very solid hit out today and we’ll be structured over the next 10 days to get it right by Sydney. We’ve rested enough players up, but by the same token we haven’t lost that edge in skills or in intensity.”

The Blues suffered a double injury blow in last week’s loss to Hawthorn.

Captain Marc Murphy is out for up to three weeks after suffering a fractured cheekbone, while Mitch Robinson is still recovery after falling heavily on his shoulder.  

But new recruit Nick Graham has made a successful comeback from a knee injury, picking up 23 possessions in his first VFL game for the Northern Blues.

Meanwhile Carlton’s behind the scenes Twitter feed @LifeatCFC continues this week, with Jay Allen GM – Digital, Media & Brand manning the account.