Carlton coach David Teague has launched a staunch defence of several of his players as pre-season pressure begins to mount on the Blues.

While it’s only the pre-season, Carlton’s two performances in the Marsh Cup have left a lot to be desired.

Teague was asked on Sportsday what he made of the pre-season form of a handful of players, including Mitch McGovern and Paddy Dow.

“Too many people get seduced by stats,” Teague said.

But Teague admitted the Blues still had plenty to work on heading into Round 1.

“We think we can be really competitive,” he said.

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