AN INCREASED focus on offence, as well as the additions of some key personnel, are the reasons behind Carlton's remarkable surge up the ladder in 2025, according to captain Abbie McKay.

The Blues have rocketed into a semi-final showdown with Hawthorn this week, just a year after they finished 14th in 2024 with only four wins. 

McKay, who is in her first season as captain, believes that several factors have contributed to their newfound success. 

"It's a lot of things … we've been in the process the last three years chipping away at a few different things," she told reporters on Tuesday morning.

"A couple of great people and players into the side, but also probably going a bit harder on the offence side of things and trying to generate score."

The Blues had a busy off-season, adding former Gold Coast captain Tara Bohanna as well as a pair of talented draftees in Sophie McKay and Poppy Scholz. 

And Carlton certainly struck gold with that trio. Bohanna leads the club's goalkicking this year with 15 majors and has added a marking presence forward of centre, while Sophie McKay, Abbie's younger sister, has added plenty of excitement and energy to the group with 14 goals of her own.

Scholz, the younger sister of Port Adelaide's Matida, has shown an ability to influence the game at both ends of the ground, where she can use her marking prowess and cleanliness with ball in hand to great effect. 

Throw in the fact that Irishwoman Erone Fitzpatrick has had a breakout campaign earning All-Australian squad selection straight off the back of an ACL injury, and it's no wonder the Blues are firing on all cylinders. 

The skipper believes that a strong victory over West Coast in their elimination final has laid the platform for what they hope is a fruitful finals campaign.

"We're super excited, Soph and I both played our first final on the weekend for Carlton, it was great to get the win and we just can't wait to crack in this weekend and see what we can do against the Hawks," Abbie said.

"It was awesome, we set ourselves up really well, ‘Bucky' [coach Mathew Buck] warned us the intensity would go up in a final. We played West Coast the week prior so we went in with lots of confidence. We knew we could do it if we played similarly to the week before.

"The wet weather conditions we adapted really well to and Soph kicked a couple of great goals in the third quarter that got us going. It was a great game and it sets us up really well for the rest of the finals series."

Sophie's third-quarter burst, where she slotted two crucial goals and played a key role in several others, proved crucial to Carlton's success. 

"It didn't really feel different to any other game, I want to bring that intensity to every game. The stakes were higher but I back our belief and the way we play," she said.

Her first major came after a toe poke deep in the forward pocket, before gathering the footy, shrugging a tackle and executing a perfect checkside. The jubilant youngster then sprinted off, faked tearing her hamstring and did the "stanky leg".

Her second goal came shortly after when the pocket rocket pounced on a loose ball and snapped quickly and celebrated in style. 

"I'm super proud (of Sophie). I just roll my eyes when she does some of the celebrations but it's hilarious and she lifts the energy of the whole team and gets us all going. We absolutely love it, but dad wasn't so happy with her hammy celebration," Abbie said.

Sophie said their dad, Andrew, who played 244 games for the Blues between 1993 and 2003, "had a heart attack" when he saw his youngster daughter clutch at her leg.

"He said 'don't you ever do that again!' A couple of my family friends who were standing with him said he had a heart attack, probably shouldn't have done that one but it was funny," Sophie said.

"I don't really know what goes through my mind, I'm just so excited. A lot of relief as well that it went in, but just excitement and energy."

Now the Blues' attention turns to a huge semi-final against the Hawks at Ikon Park on Saturday night. The Hawks got the better of the Blues in round two earlier this year, prevailing by eight points in a low-scoring affair at Kinetic Stadium. 

"The Hawks are a really good side and they've proved that over the course of the season. It'll be a challenge, we didn't get the win against them in round two, we'll probably change a few things up, see what we can do and hopefully get the win this time around," Abbie said.

"We back ourselves in to score and we've got a great backline who can hopefully defend the ball really well."

Whether they win or lose on Saturday, the Blues' rise this year has been the culmination of several years of hard work finally coming together - and now the sky is the limit.

"We've just been chipping away at things and it's all come into place this year and is paying off. It's nice to see," Abbie said.

"We'll embrace the hype of winning finals, we're here to win and we have a job to get done."