Carlton will soon embark on one of the most important off-seasons in the club's history but interim coach John Barker is unsure if he'll be a part of the Brendon Bolton-led revolution.
Barker has guided the club to three wins and nine losses since taking over from Mick Malthouse but missed out on the permanent job when the Blues announced Bolton as Malthouse's replacement this week.
A philosophical Barker said that he had no regrets about taking on the caretaker role and will focus on overseeing the club's final two home-and-away matches - against Greater Western Sydney and Hawthorn - rather than his own job prospects.
"Carlton's really handed me a great opportunity, it's been invaluable experience and I think I've grown as a coach through this period," Barker said on Friday.
"I've enjoyed every minute of the last 12 weeks. "What happens in the future will take care of itself. What I know is I'm going to work really hard on growing as a coach but also just as hard to keep growing as a person."
Barker wouldn't be drawn on whether he would apply for the vacant Adelaide or Essendon senior jobs.
He said that the team was in good hands with the appointment of Bolton, with the club already offering him the opportunity to stay on and be a part of the former Hawthorn assistant's staff if he should so choose.
Carlton faces some tough decisions as they look to rebuild the depth of their under-performing playing list with the futures of several stars, including ruckman Matthew Kreuzer and running defender Chris Yarran, unclear.
When asked about the pair, Barker declared Kreuzer "a Carlton man" but didn't blame other clubs for trying to lure the restricted free agent.
When it came to Yarran, who returns to the side to face the Giants after a period of exile in the VFL, Barker wasn't as unequivocal.
"That's a real hypothetical," he said. "We can't talk about those things because we don't know what's going to happen."
Yarran was one of three inclusions at the selection table but, in a recurring theme, the Blues lost veterans Marc Murphy and Andrew Carrazzo to injury.
"I think we've got 19 guys who are unavailable this week," Barker said. "It's been one of the great challenges of my time here - especially the last six or seven weeks. "We just keep losing senior players and it's made it tough but young guys get opportunities."
The Giants, who will host Carlton at Spotless Stadium, made six changes with Devon Smith and Adam Tomlinson among the inclusions, and Joel Patfull and Jonathon Patton among those departing the side.
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