Waite's return to add spark
Brett Ratten says Jarrad Waite is a certain starter against the Swans as he comes back from a two-match suspension
Waite has served a two-match suspension and the coach said he was a definite starter against the Sydney Swans on Sunday.
"He will play - there's no doubt about that … we've missed Jarrad," Ratten said from Visy Park on Thursday.
"He's done a great job to get back from a knee [reconstruction], but then to still only play a handful of games because of suspension, that's really hurt the team.
"I think he'll come back with some real energy and something that will just rub off on a few of the players down there.
"I just think we haven't got a lot of energy forward of centre in our game even with our mids engaging and trying to score as well. I just don't think we're really running with a lot of energy forward of play. Backward of centre we are, but forward of centre we haven't shown that zip and x-factor."
Fellow forward Brad Fisher, who is also on the comeback trail from a knee reconstruction, booted four goals in the VFL at the weekend, but Ratten said he was unlikely to play his first AFL game for the season after he received a knock to a leg in that match.
Forward target Lachie Henderson received a corked knee against the Dogs and will take it easy on the track this week, but is no doubt according to the coach.
Sunday's match against another finals’ contender is an important one given the Blues badly failed a similar test against the Western Bulldogs last week.
A thorough review of that 68-point loss uncovered some glaring statistical imbalances, the worst of which was Carlton's single defensive 50 tackle laid for the entire match.
"[And] it was Jeff Garlett who plays in a forward pocket," Ratten said.
"That's amazing, that's unheard of. They're still going back to find out if it is true because I still can't believe it, even this far into the week, that that could happen in AFL game."
The players were told to bring their mouth guards for a searching week on the training track designed to address the Blues' lack of physicality against the Dogs.
"We've banged some bodies to make sure that the bloke with the ball is under a lot more pressure rather than having players sagging back and not pressing the ball," Ratten said.
"Sometimes you just need to be prodded in an area and the team really responds. They're great to coach because when we address an area they respond very well.
"I think we'll be a lot sharper in that area of the game."
Ratten's men will need to be with the Adam Goodes-led Swans coming to town. The Brownlow medallist bounced back into form against North Melbourne last week, with the coach also wary of the defensive run supplied by Nick Malceski, Marty Mattner and Tadhg Kennelly.
Three losses in the past month might have cooled expectations of the Blues this season from outside Visy Park but not from within according to the coach.
"Our ambitions haven't changed from the start of the season and the great thing about where we sit is we control our own destiny," Ratten said.
"It's something that we can do, but we've just got to make sure that we keep the ledger from win-loss in front. It's what we set out to do at the start of the season and that hasn't changed."