Carlton coach Michael Voss believes his team's backs-to-the-wall win over West Coast was a timely reminder their brand stacks up.
The Blues entered Sunday's match at Optus Stadium having lost five of their past six matches and missing a host of their best players, including star forwards Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay.
Despite the injury carnage which forced them to make six changes, Carlton romped to a 65-point victory that puts them in the box seat to make the finals.
A win over St Kilda at Marvel Stadium on Sunday will guarantee eighth-placed Carlton (13-9) finals action for the second straight season.
Carlton started Sunday's match as outsiders, given they were fielding two debutants and another player who had played just one game.
But led by a dominant 35-disposal, 10-clearance display from Patrick Cripps and a four-goal haul from defender-turned-forward Brodie Kemp, Carlton roared to a 14.15 (99) to 4.10 (34) victory.
"We probably just needed that reminder about the way we play," Voss said.
"We've put a lot of work into that over the last two or three years. So it's very easy to sort of look over the last month and say, 'Well, where's the brand gone?'
"But we also had a really strong feel about what it looks like, and we had to just keep reinforcing what that actually looked like, and not deviate off the path."
Kemp had scored just two career goals in his previous 41 matches, but the 192cm key defender thrived in attack as a makeshift option in the absence of Curnow and McKay.
"He said, 'Clear out, boys, get outside 50. I've got this one covered'," Voss said with a laugh when asked what Kemp will say to Curnow and McKay.
"I think we're going to be hearing that for a little while longer."
Voss said he would wait until early in the week before assessing whether players including Curnow (ankle), McKay (quad), Orazio Fantasia (calf), Jack Martin (hamstring), Caleb Marchbank (concussion) and Adam Saad (hamstring) would be available to return against St Kilda.
Corey Durdin is likely to miss the match after dislocating his left shoulder against West Coast.
Durdin has a history of shoulder injuries, suffering a setback just last month.
"He's got a shoulder that he hurt I think six weeks ago, that was obviously unstable," Voss said.
"He went to work on it ... and unfortunately in that incident popped it out again.
"We'll assess it, see whether we can strengthen it up. I would have thought at this stage he's very unlikely for (St Kilda)."
Zac Williams, who was struggling with a sore back, will also be assessed after suffering a suspected cramp in his hamstring.
St Kilda (10-12) will be no easybeats, as evidenced by their upset 18-point win over Geelong on Saturday.
