Patrick Cripps Remains Optimistic Despite Challenges
Patrick Cripps, the captain of Carlton, sees something in the team that others may not. Despite the struggles the Blues have faced this season, the 31-year-old is not ready to rule out another year without a premiership in 2026. His personal drive and belief in the evolving group remain strong.
Carlton has started the season with a record of 1-4 after five games, and the reality of Cripps going another year without success is becoming more apparent. However, he remains positive, stating that “it’s still early” and believes a win over their arch-rival Collingwood on Thursday night could be the “kick start” they need for the season.
“It still drives me,” Cripps said. “I think any player that gets to the back end of their career that’s the sole purpose you play for.”
He added, “The thing I learned last year, a lot of us did, when you get too focused on the end result you lose the joy of the weekly stuff. Although that will be my goal for however long I keep playing for, I still love the game, I love training, I love competing.”
Cripps emphasized his focus on leading the team, especially at the start of the week. He noted that the energy within the club has been high, and the boys have been training with great intensity.
“The start has been challenging – obviously haven’t got the results – but the energy at the club and the way the boys have been training is as high as I’ve ever felt it. I still have been loving going to the club, which is always the biggest challenge when you haven’t been getting results.”
He continued, “It’s still early in the year, I feel there’s a lot of potential in our group. We’re looking forward to Thursday to really kick start our year.”
Carlton showed improvement in their match against Adelaide last Thursday night, particularly in the second half. However, they still left the game without the four points they needed. The loss came after coach Michael Voss made the surprising decision to omit reigning best and fairest winner George Hewett.
Cripps believes Voss’ decision “in a way” puts the rest of the Blues on notice. “It’s always tough because someone like myself, he’s a guy I love playing with,” he said.
“We’ve played four years together and you know what you’re going to get from George, he’s one of the most-loved teammates. In a way, but when you’re not getting results you know you need to keep changing that mix.”
He praised Hewett’s approach, saying, “If you see the way he goes about it, the way he went about it this week, credit to him as a person. He puts in as much work as anyone I have seen around the footy club and I love playing with him.”
