Carlton coach Michael Voss has urged his players to stand up and fight in a bid to salvage their AFL season after yet another meek second-half surrender.
The Blues led by 18 points in the second quarter against St Kilda on Saturday night but gave up eight goals to one in a horror third term.
The eventual 16.12 (108) to 9.15 (69) defeat put Carlton in a 1-7 hole ahead of a clash with reigning premiers Brisbane at the Gabba on Friday night.
"It's been a familiar pattern," Voss said of his side's repeated fade-outs.
"Centre square bounce, four or five free kicks against us ... and then the ability to be able to just continue to defend when we're up against it isn't at the level that it needs to be at.
"It puts you under an enormous amount of pressure and they're kicking goals when they like and we're getting these huge runs against us.
"Defensively, we're not strong enough for long enough over the course of a game and it's holding us back."
Carlton laid just six tackles in their woeful third term and got smashed by St Kilda in the midfield, leading Voss to question his players' attitude and work rate.
"We put ourselves in position to win the game, so that message seems to be working pretty well, but our ability to be able to do it for a longer period of time is not at the level it needs to be at," Voss said.
"When the game is against you, you need to defend and you need to fight - and we are not doing it well enough."
Carlton have now lost six consecutive games in their worst start to a season since a 1-10 opening to the 2019 campaign, which cost Brendon Bolton his job as coach.
Voss is off contract at the end of the campaign and faces increasing scrutiny, but said he wouldn't "speculate" on his own position.
"I will go home, I will have a look at the game, review it and I'll turn up on Monday," Voss said.
"I'll be really clear on what we need to be able to get after, and then we dive into the week, and we find those marginal things to be able to get better next week.
"What circles around it is not for me to speculate on. What we will do is get after what need to be able to get better at."
Voss said vice-captain Jacob Weitering should be fit to take on the Lions despite a cork, but fellow key defender Harry Dean faces scans to determine the extent of his groin injury.
Out-of-favour midfielder George Hewett will be considered to bolster an on-ball division that lowered its colours against St Kilda.