Carlton's rise from 15th on the ladder to premiership contender is down to the club backing Michael Voss, says Blues best and fairest winner Heath Scotland.
At the conclusion of round 13, the Blues had only four wins and looked to set to finish in the bottom reaches of the AFL ladder, with Voss' job seemingly under threat.
But as the club prepares for a blockbuster semi-final against Melbourne at the MCG on Friday night, Scotland - who played 268 games for Carlton - feels the decision to support Voss was the catalyst behind the stunning improvement.
WATCH: Alex Johnson, Phil Davis and Heath Scotland featured on Whereabouts with Heater
"The stability off the field always helps - with question marks around Vossy and whether the club was backing him in," Scotland said on Whereabouts with Heater, featuring Heath Shaw.
"It's filtered down to the playing group and I think they have worked really hard on their game - around the defensive side.
"Voss was such a high calibre player, hard player. How could you not respect him as a coach when he has all that respect as a player and a leader?
"He would be a coach you would really want to play for. I think he has brought a real hard edge to Carlton of late.
"I've got lot of respect for Vossy. The way he played. The leader he is. I'm not in the inner sanctum but I imagine the players really want to play for him."
Carlton will be missing Harry McKay with concussion but Scotland feels Coleman Medallist Charlie Curnow's performances is a barometer for the Blues.
However, Scotland is backing an unlikely player to have a huge say in the Blues' run through September.
"The obvious one is Charlie. When he is firing, the Blues are going well," Scotland said.
"I actually think George Hewett - and I love him as a player - can have a huge impact on finals.
"The list is highly-talented and they all going to have to play well to go deep and I think they can."
The winner of Melbourne and Carlton earns the right to play Brisbane in a preliminary final next week.
