CARLTON people can hold off those September holiday plans for just that bit longer.

They might just have some finals to look forward to.

Saturday night's slashing four-point win over Richmond at the MCG won't win the Blues any style points, but as coach Brett Ratten said afterwards, it was one of his club's grittier for some time.

"Our best win? No. But it was one of the most courageous for some time," Ratten said. "It does show some character."

Indeed, character was everywhere to be found in navy blue, on a wet and cold MCG, as the Blues remain a game outside the eight.

It started with 150-gamer Andrew Carrazzo, the blue-collar stopper who was moved on to Trent Cotchin at quarter-time. Cotchin had 12 touches and kicked two goals in the first term as the Blues got off to a fast start, but had only 12 more for the match as Carazzo went about his work and put down the clamps.

Then there was full-back Michael Jamison, who kept Tiger spearhead Jack Riewoldt - who has played well against the Blues in the past - from kicking a goal.

And in particular, it was Brock McLean, whose mongrel punt from 50m out with less than a minute to go gave the Blues the win. "It was a pretty solid game," Ratten said of McLean, a comment that was much more laudatory than it might appear.

"I'm not sure whether he was trying to get it to the square, which isn't a bad rule to apply. But 26 possessions, 10 tackles and nine clearances is a solid game.

"I think his story is a great lesson for all players in the competition. Even if you're not getting a look in and you have to keep working hard, he never lost faith and kept his bum up.

"He has grabbed his opportunity and sometimes that what it takes. A couple go out of the side, you get the prime role and he has assisted us with 'Murph' and other guys around the middle."

It is the second week on the trot that the Blues have come back to win. Last week, they stank for pretty much the first half against the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium, an effort so poor that club president Stephen Kernahan joked pre-match on Saturday that he was ready to book a holiday to Afghanistan as they trailed the Bulldogs by 19 points.

But they rallied well in the second half last week and did so against the Tigers, although they left it tight, trailing by 13 points with only a few minutes to play.

"The heart was racing," Ratten admitted when it appeared deep in the final term that Carlton's season appeared set to sink into oblivion. "But when you think about what was at stake as we get to the pointy end of the season, the four points were so valuable."

And the reward for the Blues, who host the Sydney Swans at Etihad Stadium next Sunday, are a few welcome selection dilemmas. Youngsters Tom Bell and Levi Casboult were praised by Ratten post-match, but whether they keep their spots against the Swans is no certainty given the coach's estimation that Andrew Walker, Mitch Robinson and Kade Simpson are all in the frame to return from injury.

Afghanistan, it would appear, can wait.

You can follow AFL media senior writer Ashley Browne on Twitter @afl_hashbrowne