The manner in which the players responded to the round 14 loss to West Coast with such a resounding victory against Richmond on Saturday has been well documented. While supporters are able to relax in the big victory, for players and coaching staff it is back to business with the usual post match review and then move on to the next round and the next opponent.

The round 17 match against Collingwood at the MCG is already creating interest in the media and with supporters but this is something the Carlton hierarchy will look at next Monday. Right now the focus is on the Western Bulldogs, Etihad Stadium, Sunday afternoon at 4:40.

Brett Ratten and the Carlton senior players need little reminding of what happened in the corresponding encounter of 2010 to appreciate the threat the Western Bulldogs present in Sunday’s twilight match at Etihad Stadium.

It was the 15th round of 2010 that the “home” team inflicted a record 68-point hiding on the Blues before almost 38,000 spectators at that same venue, 20.6 (126) to 8.10 (58). Only percentage separated the fifth-placed Bulldogs from the sixth-placed Carlton in the lead-up to the contest.

That day, the Dogs’ key position forward Barry Hall earned three Brownlow votes with a six-goal haul, with Adam Cooney also prominent. For the Blues, Chris Judd, Aaron Joseph and Andrew Walker were amongst the better performers.

So the challenge is there for the Carlton players not only to atone for that previous encounter, but to build on the momentum generated by the team in its 103-point annihilation of Richmond last Saturday.