AFL.com.au's Ben Guthrie reviews Carlton's NAB Challenge loss to Geelong:

WHAT WE LEARNED
Carlton: Chris Yarran and Kade Simpson are central to the Blues' counter-attack. Yarran, who was a late withdrawal from the clash against the Cats with a chest infection, was best afield against Collingwood in Bendigo last Sunday. But both Yarran and Simpson's run and carry was desperately missed against the Cats. The Blues, to their credit, battled manfully inside the contest with youngster Patrick Cripps leading the charge. However, if Carlton is going to match it with the top teams on a consistent basis then it will need to improve its ability on the outside of the contest.

NEW FACES
Carlton: Kristian Jaksch had a tough task contending with the height and marking power of Mitch Clark, but still managed to hold his own in certain contests. Youngsters Blaine Boekhorst and former Swan Matthew Dick struggled to get acquainted with the intensity of the contest. Clem Smith and Jason Tutt started as the substitutes, and had little chance of impacting the contest after being brought into the play after half-time.