BUILDING belief.

Carlton produced its second consecutive victory on Saturday night, producing a strong all-round showing in a 34-point win over Yartapuulti.

Kicking away in the first half and holding firm in the second, the Blues’ young brigade stood up on a night where senior players led from the front to ensure the travelling side left Adelaide Oval with the four points.

Speaking post-match to media, here’s what Interim Coach Josh Fraser had to say.

On the joy of a second straight win:

“It’s fun, winning. I was really happy with tonight’s performance. I thought we were able to consolidate some things that we went to work on throughout the week that came to the forefront last week.

“Our contest method was quite strong, I enjoyed the way we defended the ground - that was all lines. Our forwards applied great pressure, our mids were energetic and our defenders were able to play assertive at the right times. That fed our offensive game, there’s evidence there that we’re capable. We were able to manage that for longer tonight, which was pleasing.”

On improvement in the Blues’ ball movement:

“That’s been part of our game that we’ve been trying to evolve for most of the season to be honest. Sometimes these things can take time: because that part of our game is looking better now, it doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way. We’ve still got work to do.

“We were able to turn up and support contest, and on the back of that, transition pretty well. Experienced players playing good football allows some of our youth to come into the team and play with freedom. We had seven players under 12 games tonight. It’s great to be able to bring those guys into the team and have confidence that our experienced players are going to play really well.

“We’ve been trying to work on that all year, and we’re far from a finished product in that space. Most weeks, we’ve been able to walk away and see little parts that we like in our game offensively. We were able to sustain that more tonight.

“We’ve got a dynamic front half: our forwards can move, a lot of it has been our last kick inside 50. We still had moments where we didn’t execute the way we wanted to, but it gives us some things to get to work on.”

On Patrick Cripps’ leadership:

“I’d like to think we’re supporting him as a group more, and maybe ‘Crippa’ doesn’t feel like he has to carry the burden of everything and everyone and every problem on the field. We’re trying to set him up to be really good at what he’s good at. His contest work has been elite, his leadership on-field has been fantastic, he’s making others around him better.

“For me personally, I’ve really valued the conversations we’ve had around where we’re trying to go and how we’re going to get better. He’s driving that incredibly hard, along with the other leaders. He’s been important in the last couple of weeks, and I think it’s important we acknowledge that he’s making others better.”

On Jagga Smith’s impact:

“He’s exciting. He’s incredibly driven to be a great player, and he’s in a hurry which is exciting in itself - he’s assumed some leadership in effectively his first year of football. I love seeing his growth on game day.

“He’s starting to grow in confidence, he’s starting to build trust in teammates around him, he’s executing his role really well. We’re trying to get him more exposed to that midfield mix. I thought he was terrific again.”

On Francis Evans stepping up against his old side:

"When I came back to the Club, he was one that stood out around his role compliance and how team-first he is. Sometimes in that role, it doesn’t always mean you end up with 15 possessions and two goals - you can work really hard to execute your role without impacting on the scoreboard or through possessions.

"He’s so reliable: his ability to go to the wing at certain stages, to roll behind and support goal-line defence - he’s very team-first."

On the defence as a whole:

“Harry Dean I thought was terrific, he has been all year. He’s a young kid that has assumed some big roles from week to week and I loved his game. Wade Derksen came into the team to replace Jacob and I thought he had some encouraging moments, I loved some of Billy Wilson’s run and ability to overlap.

“We supported our defenders through team defence, it was really important we did that tonight. I should mention Nick Haynes as well as an experienced player, with the way he led and performed. I’ve probably left a couple out, but I thought our backs stood up really well.”

On Matthew Carroll’s early injury prognosis:

"He obviously didn’t take any further part in the game. He’ll have a scan at some stage in the next couple of days, we’ll wait for the results of that."

On Jacob Weitering’s fitness:

“I expect him to be available [next week], he had a training session yesterday in Melbourne which by all reports he trained really well. We’re expecting him to be available and Zac Williams to potentially be available. We’ve got some guys that are waiting in the wings, plus guys at VFL level who are playing some really good footy as well.

“We’ll keep considering what selection looks like and keep trying to introduce new players to the mix. Tonight was a good example of being able to bring in three inexperienced players that all played their role really well.”

On what winning does for the group:

“It builds belief, but I also like to think we build belief through the way we train. We’ve had a real focus on our training standards and what that looks like, so you go into a game with a level of confidence. Winning is important because it gives you the affirmation of the work you’re putting in, but I’m just so pleased with how connected the group is.

“We had to manage momentum shifts tonight which has been an area of our game we’ve had to grow. They look connected, they look happy and we’ve been heading that way for a little while. It’s pleasing to see them enjoy a win.”

On what next week against Geelong represents:

“It’s a massive test, every week is. There are no easy games at this level. It’s exciting to have another opportunity to play in front of our home crowd: even tonight, the Carlton supporters that travelled… it blows me away a bit, the support this football club has.

“It’ll be a great occasion for us, a great opportunity to review the game, prepare well and take on a team that has been a benchmark for a long period of time.”

On managing a Power surge either side of three-quarter time:

“We want to set [the players] up to take ownership over those periods of the game: we can control some things from the box and the bench. It comes back to how connected they are. We speak a lot about it being okay that we’re going to lose momentum at times - but can we stay connected and organised and get our jobs done?

“There’s more evidence that we’re capable of doing that, but I’m mindful that it’s been two weeks and we’ve got a long way to go. I’m pleased we showed an ability to stay connected through those parts of the game.”