Match Day Gallery
Click Here

CARLTON coach Brett Ratten has refused to concede the Blues' final aspirations have been completely destroyed by the club's heartbreaking two-point loss to Sydney on Sunday.

The Blues fall a game and a half away from eighth-placed North Melbourne as a result, with Richmond and Adelaide taking up the positions between.

"We haven't taken our eye off what we would like to achieve throughout the year, but I suppose there's always that glimmer of hope sitting there," he said.

"We spoke about that after the game. There's been some interesting results this week already, and I daresay there's going to be more with teams you don't think can win, winning.

"Things can change very quickly in this game. If we keep putting our best foot forward, and we've got the Bulldogs here next weekend, so that's our next challenge.

Ratten was disappointed with the loss, given the Blues held a 28-point lead in the first half, but said his players' endeavour was pleasing.

"I can't question our boys' commitment. Sometimes you go into battle and you can fight and fight, and it's an arm-wrestle and you just don't get over the line," he said.

"That's the disappointing part about it. You give that much of an effort and you just come up a fraction short."

He said Sunday's loss was different to the eight others the side has suffered this year, in that it was a consistent effort across four quarters.

"We didn't have a hollow part throughout the game. Both teams were at each other the whole time," he said.

"We got the lead up but they were just at us and at us, and the margin after halftime, there was a couple of goals in it both ways.

"Today was different. It was a real street-fight between two teams where other games have become a little bit more opened up."

Ratten said young midfielder Andrew Walker will undergo scans on his "good" shoulder this week after tweaking it in his first game back.

"He had 18 possessions in three-quarters, and his impact and speed, especially at Telstra Dome, was a real bonus for us," he said.

"Because he's hurt the other shoulder and come back and now hurt the good shoulder, it was more precautionary, 'Do we take a risk, could something go wrong?'

"We've got to look after the kid's mind as well. He's gone through rehab twice, done all that, and then if we went back out there and he re-injured it, it would be a bad way to finish his season."

He also confirmed Brendan Fevola suffered a corked leg in the first quarter, but the spearhead played out the game.