The calculator has been left behind and the crystal ball ditched – all Carlton coach Brett Ratten wants to look at this weekend is another entry to the Blues’ win column.
Ratten could be forgiven for being distracted after arriving on the Gold Coast for the first time as Blues coach ahead of Saturday night’s Metricon Stadium clash with the Suns.
With Carlton in a three-horse race for eighth spot ahead of the finals, Ratten could easily be poised to crunch the numbers anticipating a percentage-boosting win over the lowly Gold Coast.
And the speculation about his future just won’t go away with Mick Malthouse reportedly linked to the Blues job in 2013 – even if Carlton scrape into the finals this season.
Then there’s the sun, surf and sand of the tourist strip in their first trip away since round 12.
But Ratten was only interested in booking a win – no matter what the margin.
“I haven’t thought about it like that at all,” Ratten said on Friday when asked how important beating the Gold Coast was to his job’s future.
“We’ve come here with a mission. We want to achieve that.
“We’ll let things happen as they unfold later in the season.”
Despite four victories in five games, the Blues must keep winning and hope Fremantle fall over against North Melbourne on Sunday to stay in the top-eight hunt.
“We are not worried about (winning) margins – we just need those four points to keep going with that little bit of hope of finals,” he said.
Still, Ratten would love a repeat of the last time the teams met – a 119-point thumping in the Suns’ AFL debut way back in round two 2011.
Easier said than done now, according to the Blues coach.
Asked how much the Suns had improved since that stunning triumph, Ratten said: “They are going really well for a young team – they are very dangerous.
“Everyone thinks because you get to pick high draft picks…in their first year they are going to be superstars.
“There have been some freaks of nature. (Carlton skipper) Chris Judd in his early time at West Coast was unbelievable.
“Outside of that it takes time for kids to grow and mature.”
Ratten said Judd was primed for a mouth-watering midfield battle with Suns captain Gary Ablett after hitting the ground running last round from suspension.
“Sometimes a forced break can actually be good. It helped Chris gather his thoughts and let his body rest a bit,” he said.
Ratten sounded more like a fan than a rival when asked about Ablett.
“You just watch and admire the way he goes about it,” he said.
“Last week watching him at the MCG against Hawthorn…he was everywhere. The way he is leading this group is a credit to him.”
