Carlton coach Brett Ratten thinks Friday's clash with reigning premier Geelong will be a great learning experience for his improving team.
With the Blues set for their second successive appearance in the finals after missing the September action seven years running before that, they need to keep winning in order to try and earn a home elimination final.
And even though Carlton has won the past two meetings against Geelong, the most recent in late April by 36 points, Ratten knows that things have changed a lot for both in the nearly four months since then.
"When you've got Matthew Scarlett back in the (Geelong) team since last time we played them ... that makes it a lot different going forward and how the ball will go in and probably come out so quickly," Ratten said.
"Their rebound on the weekend was just phenomenal, the way they could just cut the ball off and rebound against the Bulldogs who we played a few weeks ago and were in really good form."
"I think things have changed a fair bit."
Ratten was stunned by what he saw unfold in the final 10 minutes of the first quarter and the entire second between the Cats and the Bulldogs, with the premiers coming from two goals down to lead by 68 points at the break, thanks to 13 unanswered goals, including 10 in the second term.
"I think you really admire what Geelong have done in the last three or four years, the way they've dominated the competition and the way they keep backing up week in, week out," he added.
"I think from our group to look at them you can use them as a lot of role models in the competition."
"Some of their players are at 27, 28, ours are a bit younger but you can really say to our players have a look at a Jimmy Bartel for a Shaun Grigg and these types, how they go about their football."
"I think it's really good for our group to challenge themselves against the Cats who are the best team in the competition in the last four or five years so it will be a great challenge."
Continuing on that theme, Ratten emphasised just how important matches against the likes of Geelong could be for his team.
"I don't know if it's good playing a team that's just won by 101 (points) and they played a team one position below them," Ratten said with a smile.
"(But) I think it's good for our group."
"We've had a couple of wins where we've really run games out well so it's something that we can really have a look at."
"When you play a midfield like Geelong's, and some great players like Geelong, I think it's good for the players to reflect on how well they went against some of the greats of the game."
"So from that point of view it's a real experience that they can take on board."
As for his team's chances of making it three-straight wins against the Cats, Ratten is in little doubt what it will take to do so.
"If you can dominate stoppages or have effectiveness from the stoppage that might be very critical in the game itself," he said.
"I think that's the challenge for the group it's going to be a four-quarter performance and we just have to, even if we're behind or whatever the scoreboard says, we're just going to have to keep digging in deeper and finding a way."