While reluctant to nominate the Blues as top-four certainties, Carlton veteran Andrew Carrazzo believes 'natural improvement' will assist the club to take the next step in 2012.
Knocked out in the second week of last season's finals by West Coast in a thriller at Patersons Stadium, the Blues are strongly fancied to advance deeper into September this year.
Asked where he expects the club to improve, Carrazzo said: "Just having a fit and able team."
"Just the general improvement across the board rather than additions we've had to the group."
"Having Matty Kreuzer back for a full season is going to help and Shaun Hampson as well, having him in there for a full season is going to really help."
"Nick Duigan and Jeremy Laidler will have another season under their belt so, with all those things included, hopefully we can get some good improvement across the board."
Injury setbacks to Duigan, skipper Chris Judd (shoulder) and untried key forwards Luke Mitchell (shoulder) and Sam Rowe (shoulder) notwithstanding, Carrazzo said the Blues have benefited enormously from a 'competitive' pre-season.
Judd, he said, is 'a week or two away' from full contact training though Duigan will be sidelined for at least a month after undergoing surgery to remove some loose knee cartilage.
Carrazzo nominated third-year midfielder Kane Lucas as a standout on the training track and poised to cement a place in the senior line-up this year.
"The last couple of weeks have been really full-on," Carrazzo said.
"Everyone's pushing each other and fit and moving well."
"I don't know whether it's age or whether they actually get harder but (pre-seasons) seem to get harder every year."
"The way the fitness staff and the club have planned everything out, they don't miss a beat."
"It's personalised and we're able to work on the things that we need to improve upon."
Carrazzo said the players had rallied behind team-mate Heath Scotland who was involved in a bar brawl at Mulwala over the weekend after reportedly coming to the aid of his brother.
"We fully support Heath," declared Carrazzo.
"We're just going to back him in."
Carrazzo admitted he was still coming to terms with parenthood after his wife Yvette gave birth to triplets - Grace, Charlotte and Sophia - earlier this month.
He was speaking at the launch of the Blue Zone, an initiative to help the club to reconnect with its heartland in Lygon Street.
"Most other clubs would kill to have an identifiable area like Lygon Street, so in that regard we are really lucky and lucky that a lot of the people around here support the club," he said.