“THESE are the games we need to step up in."

Heading into Round 5 with an even ledger, Senior Coach David Teague has challenged his players to rise to the occasion this weekend.

In the offing for the Blues is a Saturday night at the MCG against Port Adelaide: a team who has won more games than anyone since the beginning of last year.

The Blues are well aware of the challenge of the Power, with Robbie Gray prescribing those in Navy Blue with some last-minute heartache in Round 7 last year.

With Port arguably even stronger in 2021, Teague said the team needed to be on from the opening bounce at the home of football.

“We know they’re a good side, and we believe that’s where we’re going,” Teague said.

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“This is our chance to prove to all of our fans which hopefully fill the MCG that we’re going to be a good side too.

“We want to be in these games more often and you need to play well… they’re the games you need to be able to win and they’re the games we want to play in.”

Carlton enters the game having won its last two games, while Port Adelaide enjoyed a two-point win over the reigning premier in a match likely to go down as one of the best of the season.

Teague, who forecasted the return of Zac Williams to the senior fold, said the response since a poor performance in Round 2 couldn’t afford to simply be a two-week thing.

“If we turn up like we did in Round 2, we won’t compete with anyone,” he said.

“That’s our growth, and that’s why we’ve got to get better: right now, we’re in a position where we need to get better.

“[Port] is a great team. They’re a team I enjoy watching play and the way they play, it’s the challenge that this group is looking forward to.”

On the last three occasions when Carlton has played Port Adelaide on enemy territory, over 40,000 people have attended each time with a large amount of those South Australians wearing black, white and teal.

Teague said he was hopeful Carlton members - which ticked over 80,000 for the first time this week - would give the opposition a taste of their own medicine.

“Firstly, it’s a thank you. [Our members] have been amazing with the way they’ve stuck behind us,” he said.

“We’d love them to get there, the players get energy off of them.

“We love it when they turn up. To get as many of them to the MCG on Saturday night would be awesome.”