Carlton faces several difficult decisions regarding how to best cover the loss of forwards Lance Whitnall to injury and Brendan Fevola to suspension.
But whatever decisions the match committee may or may not have made, coach Denis Pagan was giving little away before training on Friday at Optus Oval.
"We've just got to come up with a different plan, a different approach. I'd love to be able to tell you but I'm not going to telegraph it to everybody," Pagan said.
"If we can get the same amount of entries and we've got a forward line that can perhaps do things differently, we can still be successful."
Fevola is third in the race for the Coleman Medal with 53 goals, while Lance Whitnall, who has 19 majors, has been on the improve in recent weeks after an injury-interrupted pre-season.
The Blues take on Sydney next weekend and in terms of the full-forward position, Pagan has Ian Prendergast, Callan Beasy or even skipper Anthony Koutoufides at his disposal.
Like Nathan Buckley has done at times for Collingwood, Koutoufides can be played out of the goal square with plenty of room to operate in a variation of 'Pagan's Paddock'.
The centre half-forward position hinges on the possible return of ruckman Barnaby French, who suffered a lower-back injury against the Bulldogs in round nine.
If French is able to play, it will allow Adrian Deluca to be released from ruck duties and return to centre half-forward, where he has presented well this season.
"(He is) pretty good. He's back in full training now and he'll be available next game," Pagan said of French's fitness.
Prendergast, who has been pinch-hitting effectively for the Blues in the ruck for several weeks, is likely to continue in that role, regardless of whether French is available.
Carlton may not be keen to shift the versatile Digby Morrell out of defence where he has been playing well lately. Morrell may need to help cover the dangerous Barry Hall and Michael O'Loughlin.
But whatever decisions the match committee may or may not have made, coach Denis Pagan was giving little away before training on Friday at Optus Oval.
"We've just got to come up with a different plan, a different approach. I'd love to be able to tell you but I'm not going to telegraph it to everybody," Pagan said.
"If we can get the same amount of entries and we've got a forward line that can perhaps do things differently, we can still be successful."
Fevola is third in the race for the Coleman Medal with 53 goals, while Lance Whitnall, who has 19 majors, has been on the improve in recent weeks after an injury-interrupted pre-season.
The Blues take on Sydney next weekend and in terms of the full-forward position, Pagan has Ian Prendergast, Callan Beasy or even skipper Anthony Koutoufides at his disposal.
Like Nathan Buckley has done at times for Collingwood, Koutoufides can be played out of the goal square with plenty of room to operate in a variation of 'Pagan's Paddock'.
The centre half-forward position hinges on the possible return of ruckman Barnaby French, who suffered a lower-back injury against the Bulldogs in round nine.
If French is able to play, it will allow Adrian Deluca to be released from ruck duties and return to centre half-forward, where he has presented well this season.
"(He is) pretty good. He's back in full training now and he'll be available next game," Pagan said of French's fitness.
Prendergast, who has been pinch-hitting effectively for the Blues in the ruck for several weeks, is likely to continue in that role, regardless of whether French is available.
Carlton may not be keen to shift the versatile Digby Morrell out of defence where he has been playing well lately. Morrell may need to help cover the dangerous Barry Hall and Michael O'Loughlin.
