“YOU CAN’T rely on one player. You need a group, you need a team to go out there.”

Above all else, Carlton Senior Coach David Teague was thrilled with the performance of the collective in another nail-biter.

For the third straight week, Carlton’s game went right down to the wire, and for the second straight week it resulted in a heart-stopping victory.

Recording their first one-point victory over the arch rivals since a certain day in 1999, the Blues dominated proceedings and ultimately held on for the win.

Speaking post-match, Teague said it had resulted from a shift in the wider team getting the job done.

“As a collective, we had a few [standouts]… what I’m liking is we’re not relying on one or two,” Teague said.

“It’s an even spread. It’s going to be hard for us as coaches to pick the best few players.

“David Cuningham… Will Setterfield was really strong when he went through the midfield. Ed Curnow keeps getting his job done.”

In previous years, Teague said the heavy burden had been placed on Patrick Cripps to drag the team over the line.

Teague said those days are a thing of the past, with the last fortnight an example of that.

“The way we structure up, we play a team offence and team defence. We need everyone to play their role for us to be at our best,” he said.

“That’s one of ‘Crippa’s’ great strengths. He felt he had to carry the load but he knows he has teammates to help him.

“He’s willing to give them those opportunities, which makes him a great leader.”

Last week, Teague mentioned the importance of belief for a playing group which has had to learn how to win games of football.

He said the focus internally would continue to be around improving each week after the season’s opening four games, which sees the Blues sit at 2-2.

“We feel every time we get to a game, we can go out and compete and win,” he said.

“I’m not going to put a number on our wins and losses, but we want to hold ourselves to the way we go about it and the way we execute.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do. But I think our players are starting to believe in themselves.”