Carlton coach Brendon Bolton has suggested that Cameron O’Shea could find his way back into the senior side this week following last weekend’s injury to Caleb Marchbank.
Marchbank, who suffered an ankle injury in the match against Collingwood last Friday night, joins fellow defender Sam Docherty on the sidelines, forcing Bolton to find a defensive replacement.
“With any player, like a Sam Docherty, you don't actually replace the person,” Bolton said on Thursday.
“The system has to hold up, and hold enough pressure on the ball.
“In saying that, there’s guys like Cam O’Shea who may get an opportunity to play in that role.”
O’Shea, who found his way to Carlton after being delisted by Port Adelaide at the end of 2017, has played just one senior game for the Blues since arriving.
The 26-year-old was a part of Carlton’s Round 2 loss to the Suns, collecting 14 disposals at Etihad Stadium.
The highly-anticipated contest between ruckmen Todd Goldstein and Matthew Kreuzer has already caught the attention of Bolton, with the third-year coach believing it could be the key to either side winning the match.
“Both Todd Goldstein and Matthew Kreuzer are quality ruckmen,” Bolton said.
“It’s a critical part of the game, and they’ve got some strong bodies under Goldstein in Ziebell and Cunnington.
“The supply battle is a really important part of winning the game.”
Despite Carlton never having played a match at Blundstone Arena, the ground is familiar territory for Bolton, who started his coaching career at North Hobart.
“It’s a very familiar ground for me, I understand it really well,” he said.
“You go and do some homework on every ground that’s different, and adapt your game-plan accordingly, it’s usually only small subtle things.
“It’s quite a narrow ground, and there can be some wind at times, and knowing Tassie, there can be some drizzle too.”