AS CARLTON finishes preparations for their Round 6 clash with the Western Bulldogs, Senior Coach Mathew Buck and co-vice captain Mimi Hill are positive in their reflections of the first five rounds of the 2023 season, all while taking it week-by-week for the remaining games of the season.

Speaking to Carlton Media on Thursday, Buck and Hill are pleased with the Blues’ favourable position on the ladder, crediting the ticking of all the right boxes in terms of training and execution on game day as major factors to Carlton’s positive record of three wins and two losses.

Although all the right signs are showing and everything is falling into place in many aspects of the Blues’ game, there’s no time for complacency for Buck’s squad as they look to continue their strong start to the campaign.

“In terms of results it's a nice place to sit in the midway part of the season and we’ve probably ticked some stuff off that we’ve really gone after with our high performance, so in the back half of the season we’ll be looking to emulate that,” Buck said.

“I like to go week-by-week, but there’s some exciting games [coming up], and pressure builds on those games but that’s all part of the development of the entire group”.

Throughout the season, the Blues’ midfield has been showing great progression, with each player developing individual strengths that have shown quick ball movement from clearances and ample opportunities for the forward line, which Hill highlights as one of the main improvements from previous seasons.

Hill’s midfield partners Abbie McKay and Keeley Sherar have brought new dimensions to their games, which Hill points out has been a great benefit for her own game, helping her be able to transition between playing as an inside and outside midfielder throughout the season.

Another strong pillar in the Carlton midfield has been Jess Good, with her preparation and hunger for competition giving Hill and the rest of the midfield contingent the confidence they need to continue their well-rounded performances.

“I really enjoy working with ‘Abs’ and I think it works best when she’s more of an inside player and I can get outside.

“But the addition of Keeley Sherar and her tackle pressure and grunt inside really helps the midfield function,” Hill said.

“Jess [Good] works so hard in terms of her prep, she knows her opposition so well and that gives us heaps us confidence as midfielders”.

For Buck and Hill, who are both in the first year of their respective roles at the Club, these improvements in form and on-field performance are a testament to hard work and a shift in mindset off the field.

For the Senior Coach, he applauds his players for the way they’ve adapted to change and taken a head-on approach to their change of strategy, all while crediting his coaching staff for assisting his vision for the Club.

Meanwhile, Hill has taken her new responsibilities with both hands and has used the chance to captain the side alongside Jess Dal Pos in Kerryn Peterson’s absence as a new way to learn from her mentors as way as show leadership to her teammates.

“The players have been up for it, they’ve really wanted to get better and go after high performance or how to get better as individuals and how to connect as a team and a brand new system,” Buck said.

“Last year was a really good development year and with Belinda Clark doing some work with us and help develop us as people I feel confident in this role” Hill said.

“I’m really loving footy at the moment with this group, there’s a massive focus on being a good teammate at the moment. I get pretty pumped when my teammates do some elite things on the field, so it just makes footy fun”.