Finals lure for Blues

CARLTON coach David Teague has declared his side capable of playing finals as he prepares to bolster if for Friday night’s clash with Gold Coast.

The Blues hope to regain midfielder Jack Martin and ruckman Marc Pittonet for the match in Darwin.

Martin missed last week’s thrilling after-the-siren win over Fremantle with a calf injury, while Pittonet missed with a finger injury.

The Blues sit ninth on the ladder with a 5-6 record to put the team’s first finals appearance since 2013 within reach.

While Teague tempered discussion of drought-breaking finals action, he said the equation was simple.

“We want to play our way and we expect that if we play our way then we’ll get enough wins to play finals,” he said.

Teague said Martin and Pittonet must prove their fitness at training ahead of the clash at TIO Stadium.

“He (Martin) should be (available),” Teague said.

“We are about to go have training this afternoon so if he gets through training, he’s available and he will play. So he is a test for this week, he’s just got to get through training today and put his hand up and we’ll play him.

“Pitto is similar, he has got to get through training. Last week he trained but he felt he couldn’t perform at the level, so he made the right call for the team.

“So, similar again, and David (Cuningham) the same, they are all tests this weekend, so if they get through this afternoon’s training then they will put their hands up for selection.”

Should Pittonet be cleared to return, Teague said the Blues would consider playing the first-year Blue and fellow ruckman Tom De Koning in the same team.

“We will definitely look at it,” Teague said.

“We have generally played three tall forwards. Last week we pushed (Matthew) Kennedy and (Patrick) Cripps to try and play to keep us a little bit of height in the front half, so there is a possibility.

“We’ll have a look at how we match up best against the Gold Coast.”

Carlton moved to within a game of the eight after the lastgasp win over Fremantle.