Brett Ratten says Carlton's difficult season has made him a firmer coach, and he does not want to be left with a hollow feeling of regret, so he will fight for a finals berth while reaching the eight is still mathematically possible.
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The Blues, currently 11th, two games and significant percentage out of the eight, are set to regain tough midfielder Mitch Robinson and important forward Andrew Walker for Saturday night's home clash with Brisbane.
However, Carlton's defence will be weakened for its encounter with the Lions' in-form captain Jonathan Brown by the loss of Michael Jamison (hamstring).
The Blues have to win all four remaining games to have a hope of September action and Ratten said his team would not leave anything in the tank.
"While the window is there for finals we'll be pushing as hard as we can to achieve that," Ratten said.
"I've been a lot firmer internally not just with the players but with the staff as well so the expectations don't waver.
"I don't want to make it to the end of the season and think we could have done that better, you can be really good reviewers after the event but it's doing it now, right here, I want to make sure we make every post a winner."
Young key defender Matthew Watson could provide reinforcement in Jamison's absence, while ruckman Rob Warnock (shoulder) will be tested at training. Robinson and Walker have each missed three weeks with calf injuries.
"When you think of the season and where it's at, any selection is about risk versus reward when they're coming back from injury," Ratten said.
"We've got Brisbane, we have to concentrate on them and whatever else happens around us we'll have to deal with after the event. Brown looked in really good touch [with four goals against Richmond last week] so we'll have to control him."
