The intrigue over the future of Carlton pair Lachie Henderson and Chris Yarran continues to grow, with the former still struggling for form and the Blues maintaining the latter is "invested" in the club.

Henderson is out of contract at the end of the season and has said he wants to play "good football" before determining whether he will remain a Blue or accept what shapes as enticing offers from rival clubs, namely Geelong and Brisbane.

However, his form continues to be questionable - he has 16 goals in 11 matches - with his lack of presence inside 50 against Richmond last weekend highlighted by several commentators.

Ahead of an imposing clash against Fremantle at Domain Stadium on Saturday night, caretaker Blues coach John Barker remains confident Henderson will regain his groove.

"He would be the first one to say his last couple of weeks haven't been as good as probably they could be. He is working at getting that form back," Barker said on Friday.

"Good players go in and out of form at times. We feel he is not far away from playing some good footy."

Yarran is contracted for next season but has endured a rugged season. He has had off-field issues to deal with, while his composure and creativity on the field has not been what it once was. He was suspended for three matches for striking Essendon's Paul Chapman in round three, and was later handed a club-imposed suspension for arriving late to team meetings.

Barker was shown on the Channel Seven broadcast having a strong discussion with Yarran in the Blues' dressing room at the MCG during last week's loss to Richmond.

Barker said the Blues "just want strong effort" from the rebounding half-back.

"We want him to play in a manner which befits what the Carlton Football Club expects. We talk to all players about what is expected of them, what Carlton football looks like. He is no different," he said.

Asked if Yarran was invested in the club, Barker replied: "I think Chris Yarran is very invested in the football club. He has had a couple of weeks where he hasn't been as good as he would like to be. He would be the first to admit that. He is keen to get back to some good form."

Yarran, 24, is seen as a major trade option if the Blues look to secure a second first-round pick in this year's national draft.

The West Australian would have great currency with a side in premiership calculations, although his age means he could still play a key role in a Blues' rebuild which, according to recruiting chief Steve Silvagni, could take three seasons.

Just under which coach this rebuild will take place also remains a mystery, as the Blues' sub-committee begin finalising a short-list of candidates to replace Mick Malthouse.

Barker has enjoyed the strong support of the players, with Dale Thomas, Kade Simpson and Zach Tuohy among those who recently have said Barker has impressed in the caretaker position.

"At the moment, I am really working hard to try and keep us playing as good as football as we can. It's good that there are players who are feeling I am having some impact but, at the end of the day, I have lot of work ahead of me," Barker said.

Fremantle assistant coach Simon Lloyd has been heavily linked to the role, and will get a first-hand look at a young Blues side dealing with several injuries - the latest requiring season-ending pectoral surgery on playmaker Bryce Gibbs.

As Barker pointed out, the Blues will have five players with less than 15 matches to their credit take to the field against the Dockers.

"The challenges have been strong for us. We have lost a number of players at a number of different times and, over the last six weeks, they keep compounding," he said.

"We get to play some young players, we get to give them some experience. The Carlton Football Club, the members get to see what our future looks like in some ways."

The Dockers will be stung by their 72-point loss to Hawthorn last weekend in Launceston, and have had their capacity to score questioned in recent weeks. They have averaged only 66 points in their past six matches, having averaged 97 in the opening eight rounds.

They have also questioned the AFL umpires department this week over the physical battering superstar Nat Fyfe has endured, with the Hawks swarming all over him at stoppages.

Asked if he was worried about an over-correction from the umpires, it could be said Barker proved his media savvy, insisting he had not "heard anything" about the controversy so "it would be probably hard for me to comment".

But he understands the havoc Fyfe potentially could wreak should he be allowed to roam free on the open spaces of Subiaco.

"Nat Fyfe is one of the best players in the AFL. But the Fremantle Football Club are about team. They have a lot of very good footballers that we need to look out for," he said.

"We look at a lot of things that have occurred over the last few weeks with Freo and we are looking to nullify their stoppage power as best we can."

Barker said Blues' debutant Brad Walsh, a second-round selection (number 24 overall) in the 2014 rookie draft, was a strong inside midfielder of "really good character".