CARLTON coach Brett Ratten believes that consecutive wins over the Sydney Swans and St Kilda, both finalists from last year, is a good way to silence those who question the Blues' premiership credentials.

The Blues sit third on the premiership ladder after seven rounds yet few rate them as a legitimate premiership threat.

"We know that the teams that we play that finished higher than us, we've got to take their spot," the Carlton coach said after his team edged out the Saints by three points in a Monday night thriller at Etihad Stadium.

"We get these chances and opportunities and we need to take the four points off them."

The Blues, however, made the job of beating St Kilda much tougher than it should have been.

Despite some inaccurate kicking (their first five inside-50s yielded only five behinds), Brett Ratten's men were 28 points up by the mid-point of the third quarter.

Yet they conceded seven of the next eight goals to fall three points behind at the 24-minute mark of the final term.

Andrew Walker then proved the hero, his straight kick hauling his team over the line.

"We've had a few close ones," an exhausted Ratten remarked. "Last week was great to go up to Sydney and do that and this week was a little bit similar.

"I suppose this week, against really good opposition, we had a lot of opportunities and I think we've had 29 shots and two or three out on the full.

"So we've peppered the goals but we just made hard work of it again, which can be frustrating."

Ratten was delighted his team was able to withstand St Kilda's spirited fightback.

"We've been in those spots where we've had to find … the will to win and I think that's showing through the group that we've matured a bit as a team across the board."