NINE-goal hero Brendan Fevola may have stolen the spotlight in Carlton's hard-fought win over Richmond, but coach Brett Ratten saw plenty of further positives in Saturday's performance.

The spearhead's career-best goal haul drew plenty of praise from the coach after the match, but he maintained there was a lot to like about his team's effort despite the swirling wind making it a dour, often error-riddled, contest.

"Brendan kicks nine goals and you'd have to say he was probably the best man on the ground because of that performance," Ratten said.

"There are some [other] pleasing aspects of the game. I thought a guy like Aaron Joseph really stood up, Adam Hartlett got his first crack at it for the year and he looks like he can get over the ground a lot better than he has in previous years.

"Jordan Russell's performance, as well, I thought was pretty encouraging.”

It was not just Fevola’s scoreboard statistics that pleased Ratten, who praised him and small forward Eddie Betts for their efforts in keeping the ball in Carlton’s attacking zone.

The Blues' ability to will themselves across the line in a match where they aren't playing their best football is a character trait that hasn't been prevalent in recent years. Ratten thought the 20-point win in trying conditions was a sign of his group's continued development. 

"When it hasn't always gone right for us [in the past] we have just fallen away as a group," he said.

"I think there have been patches of that [this year] and that's probably one really pleasing aspect of today.

"Even though it's not [a player's] day or it's not happening for [someone], our ability to just keep chugging away and grind it out has improved dramatically.

"Juddy probably helps that and sets the benchmark just to keep working extremely hard, but that then becomes contagious and I think our group is learning to be a mentally better team."

Carlton led by 38 points early in the final term before easing to the line, but Ratten didn't think his charges had become complacent.

"I put that down to a bit of the travel, but to Richmond's credit they kept coming," he said referring to his team's short turnaround from their trip to Perth to play Fremantle last Sunday.

"By the time you put your head down its three o'clock Monday morning and it does take a bit out of the players.
 
"We were making some errors and not running across the ground as good as we had been in the past.

"I just think we squandered some opportunities and made some errors in our back 50 from simply just missing the free man and that hurt us.

"Whether that was the wind conditions or not, I'm not sure, but to come away with the four points is pretty pleasing."