Carlton caretaker Josh Fraser may no have choice but to change his mind about his coaching ambitions if all continues on the current trajectory.
The Blues have won three on the bounce under Fraser's direction following Michael Voss' departure, including an impressive win over premiership fancies, Geelong.
But could the Blues do the unthinkable? Sack a coach and make the finals that season?
This very rare feat has never been more likely in the history of football after the AFL announced the introduction of the Wildcard Round, extending the finals race to a top 10.
And pushing the Carlton return-to-finals agenda is the fact the club only leaves Victoria once more for the remainder of the season, for a measly aeroplane trip to Sydney wher GWS await.
But the next month will be telling in Carlton's pursuit of September action, with clashes against Essendon, the Giants, West Coast and Richmond. Win those four gettable games, and they even the ledger at 8-8 heading into the final third of the season.
In the past four seasons, 10th placed has bounced between 11 and 12 wins for the year. Games against Brisbane, Collingwood, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs could be deemed winnable.
Match-ups with Fremantle, Gold Coast and Hawthorn in front of raucous home crowds could give the Navy Blues the requisite boost as they push for an unlikely finals appearance.
But the numbers are more telling.
In the past five weeks, albeit including a fortnight under Voss, Carlton is the best transition team from defensive 50 to forward 50, translating to the strongest side scoring from the chain, according to WheeloRatings.
They rank first in disposals, as well as forward 50 groundball gets (the only team in the competition to produce a positive differential), ball win and post-clearance contested possession.
Carlton is fourth in intercepts during that five-week block, sixth in inside 60s and third in chains to scores.
Fraser has installed a sense of boldness, not recklessness, with their kicking. They rank top four for kicking retention rating, rivalling the likes of Sydney, Geelong and St Kilda.
They also lead the competition in inside-50 retention in the past month (54.7 percent).
Under Fraser, they have mitigated opposition scores from turnover, which has historically been a deficiency of the Blues.
The last three weeks, Carlton has lost scores from turnover by a collective three points. A fair turnaround from the overall season ranking of 16th in the league and a -17.4 differential.
The impact of Fraser has been profound, albeit in a short period. Could he rethink his stance on the Carlton coaching job?
