Michael Voss said through summer that Carlton needed to become a “great” home-and-away side to lay the platform for a legitimate premiership quest.

It was a point Harry McKay endorsed in February, the Blues determined to build on last year’s breakthrough preliminary final. In second spot heading into Sunday’s twilight clash against North Melbourne, the Blues have made more major steps, but successive losses to Greater Western Sydney and the Western Bulldogs have prompted questions about their true standing.

Desperate for success: Patrick Cripps and his fellow midfielders need to solve their issues at clearances.Credit: Getty Images

Injuries, as they have to many teams, have hurt, but the Blues have two philosophical questions to address. Are they better with two frontline ruckmen in Marc Pittonet and Tom De Koning, or do they just use the sprightly De Koning? For Sunday, at least, they have reverted to just using De Koning, axing Pittonet.

What Voss must also solve is how best to ease their woes in conceding scoring from clearances. The latter had been an area of strength until this season.

The De Koning and Pittonet debate has several layers. De Koning, 25, was brilliant when........

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