For so long Carlton's hopes and dreams and Brendan Fevola's form went hand-in-hand.

Now it's Fevola's hopes and dreams, and Carlton's form towards the AFL finals, which will be intertwined this weekend.

Blues coach Brett Ratten has confirmed he will play his star defender Michael Jamison on ex-Carlton hero Fevola in a reserves match on Saturday.

With the Blues having a bye this weekend and Jamison needing to build more match fitness as he returns from a knee injury, the defender will line up for Carlton's VFL affiliates Northern Bullants against Fevola's Casey Scorpions.

The test for both Jamison and Fevola will define Carlton's finals bid, and probably Fevola's long-term future.

Fevola has been in excellent touch in the VFL as he attempts to resurrect his football career following alcohol and gambling issues.

The 30-year-old has booted 33 goals in his past five matches, including an 11-goal haul, to spark suggestions he may be thrown an AFL lifeline for 2012.

Should Fevola kick a bag on one of the AFL's premier defenders, it would surely prompt clubs to take another look at him.

He would come at a bargain basement price, not commanding anywhere near the huge salary which burdened the Blues and burned Brisbane, who both jettisoned him because of his off-field issues.

Fevola said on Thursday he was not getting his hopes up about an AFL comeback, but would love it to happen.

He said no club had approached him, and several - most notably Greater Western Sydney - have publicly dismissed taking the punt.

"It'd be hard to convince AFL clubs to take a crack, but I think that I can still play footy and if I did, I think I would take it with open arms," Fevola told Melbourne radio station Gold 104.

"I don't think it's about footy (whether he gets drafted).

"I don't think it's ever been about footy. I think it's been about off the field and I think that I've been pretty good.

"I think I've done pretty much everything I needed to do outside of footy, which has been great ... and keeping my nose clean."

Fevola has several options.

He could be pre-listed by GWS as part of their draft concessions in their first season, then traded to another club to play next year.

He could be picked up as a mature-aged rookie, or go through the national or pre-season drafts, like Ben Cousins did.

Jamison made his AFL return in the Blues' loss to Hawthorn last weekend from the knee injury which has sidelined him for much of the second half of the season.

"He will play 60 to 70 per cent game time down there and play fullback," Ratten said of Jamison.

"I know it could be Fevola. He'll probably play on him, and I expect him to do a really good job."

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