CARLTON can move a step closer to a top-four finish with a win over Melbourne this weekend but the Blues aren't taking the last-placed Demons lightly.
Melbourne cannot afford to win another game if it hopes to snare a prized priority draft pick but Carlton assistant coach Mark Riley maintained the Demons' situation was a non-factor at Visy Park this week.
"Certainly it wouldn't have ever been discussed or emphasised within the walls of our club," Riley said on Friday.
"We look at Melbourne and we do our due diligence ... they were very, very good last week (against Fremantle).
"There's some pretty good players around the ball and then you look up forward ... they've got some talent. We've got to stop them getting the ball down there."
Carlton wrapped up a finals berth with last week's road win over the Power which Riley admitted was exciting for the club after seven years in the doldrums, but added the focus remains strictly one week at a time.
"We won't talk about September until September," he said.
"We've really narrowed our focus. We've narrowed the focus of each line in our team. Each individual has a very narrow specific focus in each game and we've found that's allowed us to keep our eye on the ball rather than look too far ahead."
Jeff Garlett comes in for the injured Mitch Robinson in the only change to last Sunday's winning 22 and Riley agreed the club was travelling nicely in terms of being able to maintain a settled line-up.
The assistant coach also praised the way the back line has been able to adapt to the losses of key defenders Jarrad Waite and Michael Jamison, but added his delight at how defensive pressure has been applied right up to the forward 50 in the second half of the season.
Garlett, in particular, has impressed in that area in his eight games this year since joining the club as a rookie shortly before Christmas.
"He's a fantastic pick-up off the rookie list," Riley said. "He's a skinny little kid, he's still jockey weight, so when he puts [weight] on there's going to be a few opposition counter-attackers that will know that he's in the area.
"At the moment he really does chase and pressure well, but he just doesn't have that physical strength to hold the tackles. That will come with another pre-season.
"It certainly doesn't get lost internally [how well he's done on a limited preparation]. We know we've got a beauty there."
The Blues moved their final training session of the week indoors at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre in preparation for Saturday's game at Docklands after wild weather ravaged Visy Park on Friday.
