Last week’s performance against Port Adelaide was probably our most disappointing effort of the year. After an OK start at AAMI Stadium, we really let the game slip in the second half and things just got worse from there.

Our ball use was poor against the Power and we allowed them to score heavily from turnovers, which was disappointing because we feel our ball usage has been a strength for us this year. Port’s pressure was really good, so at the end of the day it came down to the fact that we weren’t able to soak up that pressure and resist.

We’ve looked at the match during the week and looked at what we can do in preparation for tonight’s game against Carlton. We certainly don’t want to take too much away from Port’s performance, because it was their best performance for the year and probably our worst, and generally when that happens, it doesn’t matter who you play because you lose.

A short week is good coming off a loss, so we were able to focus straight away on our next opposition which in this case is Carlton tonight at the SCG. The Blues have been unlucky in their last few games against some quality sides, so they are in good form.

When you look at their team on paper they are pretty formidable, but we feel like we’re up for the challenge. Certainly if we don’t get our pressure right the result won’t go our way, so we’ve focused a lot this week on pressuring the opposition, but also taking our opportunities to score when we get our hands on the ball.

With a growing injury list, we’ve had to rely on our senior players to step up and take the lead in recent weeks. One player who has done just that is Jarrad McVeigh and the way he has performed has been outstanding. He had a very good year last year and he’s miles ahead of that this year, and as co-captain, he’s been an outstanding leader. Our other co-captain Kieren Jack has also been one of our best performers, which really demonstrates the quality of the leaders at this club. We certainly couldn’t ask any more from our co-captains this season and they have just been fantastic.

Looking ahead to tonight’s match, we know we have a tough task on our hands against the Blues. Carlton has a very talented side, and even without their captain Marc Murphy who is out with injury, they still have a list of very good players. They’ve got Chris Judd and Brock McLean, as well as Bryce Gibbs, who has gone into the midfield and has had a real impact and is one of the best ball users.

They’ve got a really good mix including Matthew Kreuzer in the ruck, so they are littered with talent and hardness as well.