Carlton coach Brett Ratten says as long as his team keeps improving throughout the rest of this season he will end the year a satisfied man even if the club's recent finals drought is not broken.
The Blues, who have missed the finals for the past six seasons - their worst run in more than 100 years - have been the surprise packets of the season and with just three rounds remaining are only one game adrift of eighth-placed St Kilda.
But they face a tough run home - starting with the in-form Kangaroos on Sunday at Telstra Dome followed by a trip to Brisbane and then a home game against second-placed Hawthorn.
Ratten said given where the Blues have come from - the team had finished in the bottom two in five of the past six years heading into this season - making the finals was always going to be difficult in his first full year as coach.
"Anything you do in year one - we always thought this was a foundation year for us - not just on-field but off-field and everything we have set up this year is a foundation so that hopefully we can have sustained success."
"It's a tough industry and you don't want to get in that merry go round of going up and down every year."
"So while there is still that flicker of hope there, we have found we need to keep working on all aspects of our game and just to watch some individuals take their games to new level really helps us collectively and that is what we are focusing on."
Ratten said a meeting with an in-form North Melbourne side, that has won its past five games and is just one win away from qualifying for its 12th finals series in 16 years, was a major test of his side's progress this year.
"I think it will give us a real good insight as to where we are at," he said.
"Our confidence is growing and we have played good football over the last month, without winning all our games, but this will give us a reflection of where we are at."
"We will walk away from this game saying (either) 'well, we have really improved or we have got a lot of work to do."
"The Kangaroos play finals just about every year, they are tough and uncompromising and have that 'shinboner spirit' so we will have our work cut out."