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CARLTON coach Brett Ratten's subdued demeanour in the post-match media conference said it all, after his team easily accounted for Melbourne by 57 points at Docklands on Saturday afternoon.
The win keeps the Blues in the race for a home elimination final in the first week of September, but Ratten was not totally enthusiastic about the performance.
Midway through the first term he was so unhappy that he headed down to the boundary early to give the team a spray, but then the side started to get its act together.
"I think from an offensive point-of-view we take a fair bit – to score 24 goals and have 11 goal-kickers, I thought that was pretty encouraging across the board," he said after the match.
"I thought defensively – early – we really struggled, and the first 20 minutes of the game I thought our intensity was off the mark.
"Our attitude was the focus at the start of the game – we could see from the coaches' box if we were on or if we weren't, and we thought we were off a little bit at the start of the game."
But Ratten said the opportunity existed to fine-tune some aspects of the game-plan as the side heads into September for the first time in eight years.
"We also spoke about the chance or the opportunity to rehearse a lot of plays, whether it's a ... kick-in, a stoppage through the middle of the ground or a stoppage in your back half or your forward-50, you get to rehearse these.
"And that's what we were trying to do, fine-tune every bit of play ... because we know where we're heading, we get the opportunity to play finals".
Jeff Garlett was super in the first half, kicking three goals and then the first of the third term, but his smarts and intensity off the ball were exemplary.
"His pressure ... Mitch Robinson went out of the team, and we all know Mitch is like the Blue Heeler that chases the ball – he just keeps going and physically he smashes in," Ratten said.
"I thought Jeff did a good job – Jeff makes the opposition release the footy more on our terms and that's what he did today, and to kick four goals is a real plus for us."
Spearhead Brendan Fevola was crunched early and struggled through the first half, but kicked four in the third on his way to a bag of seven, giving him 81 for the year.
Ratten said he was happy with the way Fevola coped in sometimes trying conditions.
"We've talked to Brendan about how sometimes you need to be patient in games and just keep chipping away.
"It can be frustrating when numbers are back in front of you and there's no space around you, but it's about being patient and it will open up at some stage.
"He got his reward in the third quarter, but it can just frustrate players sometimes."
