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HIS team is set for its first finals appearance since 2001, but Carlton coach Brett Ratten is not talking about September just yet.

Speaking after his side’s 35-point win over Geelong put them three games clear of ninth-placed Essendon, Ratten was cautious not to look too far ahead.

“We’re the least experienced team in the competition. To view too far ahead ... I think we’ve had players who maybe got caught up in it too,” Ratten said.

“You’re looking at the end of the season than actually the week-to-week process.

"We’ve made it a real focus. It’s a footy cliché and it’s as boring as anything, but it’s a reality from where we sit at the moment. It’s really important we focus on Port Adelaide next week. We know the ball is in our court, and we know we have to do what we have to do.”

Ratten said he would stress the importance of short-term focus to his troops throughout the coming week.

“There is still a lot of footy to be played before we see where our fate is. I haven’t spoken to the group just yet. We’ll speak to them and that will be something that will come up,” he said.

While the Blues have been impressive against some of the competition’s big guns this year, knocking off the Cats on Friday night and coming within nine points of St Kilda in round 12, Ratten was careful not to overlook his team’s poor performances against quality sides.

“We lost against Collingwood, who were probably one of the form teams in the competition who had won seven out of eight,” he said.

Despite Friday's win over the Cats, Ratten said Geelong was far from a spent force, and believes the 2007 premiers are still one of the best sides in the AFL when healthy.

“The landscape will change a fair bit if you put (Matthew) Scarlett, Harry Taylor and these types back in that team, and (Paul) Chapman," Ratten said.

"They are a great team, Geelong. We probably take a bit of credit for our performance, because it’s good for our confidence. But wait til September comes - Geelong will crank it up another cog,” he said.

“They will be super-competitive and super hard to beat. They will be right there close to the last day in September.”