What did you make of that?

“We knew Carlton were going to come out and play like they did. They’re very good in the contest. Their pressure was elite and we struggled to stay in the game. Probably lucky we didn’t concede. We did at the start of the third. We didn’t handle their heat. But our backs did stand up, I think they kicked the first goal in 30 seconds (in the second half). We probably spent eight minutes defending and then it clicked a little bit. We won a few contests in front of the ball and we went into a pretty good space for probably half-an-hour and put the game out of reach. We’re a good side, but we’re no different to anyone else in terms of bringing intensity and playing four quarters – we’re still searching for that.”

That burst at the end of the third, where did that come from?

“It came from our leaders and our good players. We want to start like that but I thought Carlton played a really good system. They’re tough and hard to beat. Maybe they didn’t sustain it for four quarters and we found opportunities to rise when we needed to, but it’s probably happened for three or four weeks now where we’ve worked into the game and elevated at certain stages. I think our second halves in the last four or five weeks have been pretty good, but we haven’t had a four-quarter game, although that Collingwood game was pretty good.”

To be 20 down against Collingwood, 22 against Geelong and 19 today, is that an area you just have to fix?

“It shows good resilience doesn’t it that we can come back, but I don’t know if we’re waiting, the teams we’re playing are playing really tough, hard footy so we’re getting hunted every week – just like we should be – and there’s no easy games. We’ll take this game and cherish it. It’s a win. We’ve won a few games on the trot. What goes through your mind as a player when you’ve established some form and are in a reasonable space? That’s what we’re working on now. And then beating a side is very good in the contest. We walk away really happy but … we need to get better.”

Dom Sheed’s game, following on last week with a couple of goals and 20-odd possessions, he’s done the same again?

“He was a reflection of our side. In the second half in particular our leaders stood up and he’s one of our leaders. He’s developing well, he’s complementing our midfield well and he’s a midfielder who hits the scoreboard, which they’re gold. We’d like to get more goals out of our mids. Him providing that is just another level for us, because our forwards found it quite difficult at stages today.”

Did Liam Ryan have an injury or was it what he was carrying during the week?

“He had a bit of a tight hammy during the week, so we took a bit of a punt. There was nothing on the scan, so he was available. So we played him. It was one of those ones where it could bite you on the backside if you play a guy who might be slightly a bit off. But nothing on the scan. He said he was right to play. He had two funerals during the week. Had to go to Geraldton. But we backed him in and I think he got through. From the reports I got he was OK.”

How did you view the backline today?

“We’ve missed Gov (Jeremy McGovern) for the last three weeks but Harry Edwards last week and Josh Rotham building into a little bit of form and working as a system I thought they held up poorly at the start with some deep entries allowing some easy goals at the top of the square. But as the game went they worked into it just like the rest of our side. They’re playing a pretty good brand back there, but it was just a couple of easy goals in the first half. It’s top of the goalsquare contests that fall into someone’s hands, I don’t know how much of those are luck or good play from the Blues but we probably conceded one or two too many of those type of goals.”

How important is banking wins at home now with possibility of another hub?

“We’re trying to qualify for finals like everyone else, so these wins sometimes they’re ugly, sometimes they’re off a good patch. Do you want to be playing at your absolute premium best at the moment? I’d like to be. I wish I could be better at it, we don’t build into (the game) I just want to start and finish well. But I feel like our players are in a pretty good space and when we’re challenged we’re finding a way to get back into the game but that will bite us on the backside if we keep doing that. We want to start better next week, we want to play four quarters but we’re playing the Hawks and they touched us up last time we played them and every side is a good side on their day.”

Do you expect two more games at Optus Stadium after Greater Western Sydney (in round 13)?

“We’re working through that. We’d love to know a bit earlier but we understand what’s going on. We’ve got Hawthorn and the Giants, and then the assumption is we may be on the road. If that happens then we’re there for the rest of the season, wherever we are, which is fine. We’ll find out sooner or later and deal with it. We’ll try and learn from our past experience and winning at home, that’s important, but we’ve got to win away if we’re going to win anywhere this year.”

How close was Gov to playing today?

“I said that we made the decision a bit earlier this week and we did because we’ve been waiting to gameday pretty much the last few weeks. Because you can put the team in the day before (the game) we’ve tested him on the Captain’s Run. I think I mentioned earlier in the week we made the decision a bit earlier – it was a day earlier. We didn’t bother waiting to the Captain’s Run. He had a good week. He had an improvement. We thought it was going to be really wet today and is that going to help things? When you start talking about the weather and whether you should play him or not, it’s probably a good sign not to play him.”

Can he punch the ball?

“I don’t think he has tried it yet. We’re hoping this week. It’s a lot on how he’s feeling. He’s one of the bravest players I’ve ever coached so if he’s not right, he’s not right. The doc’s advice has been not to play for a number of weeks. But sometimes he elevates past that. When he feels comfortable he’ll play.”

Did you get through OK on the injury front today?

“I think so. I haven’t had any updates. We got through pretty well. That’s going to be critical. We haven’t had a compressed fixture yet. That will be coming in the next month I’m assuming. Having availability is important.”