Carlton coach Mick Malthouse says his players are embracing the AFL knife-edge and won’t count on besieged arch-rivals Essendon making life easier for them on Saturday night.
With the ninth-placed Blues two wins behind eighth-placed Port Adelaide with two rounds to go, they must win their MCG clash with the Bombers and need Fremantle to beat the Power at the same time.
Barring the Bombers being banned from the finals, that would set up a virtual play-off for the last spot between the Power and Carlton in Adelaide a week later.
With Essendon’s focus seemingly consumed by the supplements saga and the Bombers on a four-game streak of heavy losses, the Blues are fancied to keep their end of the bargain.
But Malthouse is bracing for a Bomber backlash.
“It’s a must-win game, it’s probably mini-finals in many respects for us,” the veteran coach told reporters on Thursday.
“Our destiny’s not necessarily in our own hands but we’ve got to keep winning.
“We’ve got to rely heavily on Fremantle of course.
“But we’re playing a side that’s in the eight, has played some fantastic football, has fallen off a bit in the past couple of weeks and that’s the danger.
“We know they’ve got the capability of rebounding so we’ve got to be very very switched on and take nothing for granted.”
Malthouse wouldn’t allow himself to be distracted by the latest developments in the Essendon saga, with the AFL having released details of the charge against the Bombers on Wednesday and Essendon coach James Hird launching court action against the league on Thursday.
“The initial worry that we’ve got is picking the best side, training tomorrow, getting through and playing the Essendon Football Club, who are in the eight and looking to strengthen their position in the eight, and our position to stay alive for the eight,” he said.
“Everything else is irrelevant right now for us, totally irrelevant.”
Malthouse said while he’d love to have a finals berth already cemented, the pressure of must-win football was sparking the whole club.
“Every player at our football club, both firsts and reserves, know the consequences of the week they play,” he said.
“Our reserves side currently sits in ninth spot, by percentage only.
“So the whole club has got this mentality that it’s now or never, so it’s a great feeling.
“I’d rather be in there, of course we would, but not being in there and having this challenge presents something new and I think the players are really looking forward to it.”