FORMER Carlton captain Mark Maclure has called on Brett Ratten to be bold and inject some youth into the side as part of his six-point plan to save the Blues' season.

Maclure, who played 243 games and captained the club in 1986, believes Carlton cannot afford to continue down the same path it has been in the hope that the team can recapture the form of its barnstorming start to the season.

"People out there might be saying, 'You're crazy', but guess what? Sometimes crazy people win," Maclure told Carlton's new club-produced show The Blue Print, which was filmed at AFL Media studios.

"It's not always about being the smartest - it's about being daring and bold.

"They need to inject some youth. Kane Lucas is one who I haven't seen for ages and I think he's going to be a good young kid. There's also Ed Curnow and Andrew McInnes, who I think is going to be a good player as well.

"Put them in. Whack them on someone who is a good player against Collingwood. Give them a chance to actually show their wares against the best players and show them what they have to do for the future."

Maclure dismissed talk of a secret deal that will see former Magpies premiership coach Mick Malthouse take over from Ratten at the end of the season as one of the many rumours that abound in AFL circles.

"It's his job to lose," he said of Ratten.

"He's on a contract, he's there and he's the incumbent, [but] if he thinks he's going to lose it then he's going to lose it.

"If he doesn't think he's going to lose it then he's got to work his backside off and get them up and going. Then it's up to [the board] to make a decision on him. He's done his best job and that's all you can actually do in life.

"Brett's still in the job and it's his job to actually build this group up again and get going because otherwise it is gone."

Mark Maclure's six-point plan
1. Unite the playing group
2. Inject youth
3. Build confidence with senior players
4. Show leadership
5. Forget yesterday
6. The coach will be judged

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