Carlton superstar Patrick Cripps is a strong chance to win his second Brownlow Medal after another standout season in 2024 and Blues coach Michael Voss reckons he’s an even better player now than the one who claimed the AFL’s top individual honour in 2022. Cripps was outstanding for Carlton in Sunday’s nail-biting two-point loss to St Kilda that was enough to see the Blues finish eighth and book a finals berth after Fremantle went down to Port Adelaide in the final game of the round.
The Blues skipper has been outstanding all season after almost single-handedly keeping the Blues’ finals hopes alive with an epic 35-disposal, best-on-ground display against West Coast in round 23. He followed it up with another huge performance against the Saints that included 30 disposals and seven clearances, with Sam Walsh (32 and nine) also massive for Voss’ men, who snatched a late lead only to go down to a last-gasp Jack Higgins goal.
Cripps has averaged 28.7 disposals, 15.7 contested possessions and 8.1 clearances in another extraordinary season for the Blues. And in an ominous warning to his rivals, Voss reckons the Blues captain has gone from strength to strength since his Brownlow-winning season in 2022, and is an even better and more well-rounded player now.
Voss suggested Cripps was less effective in 2023 when opposition teams tagged him but says those same tactics have failed to have an impact on his effectiveness this season. The midfielder’s brute strength, game intelligence and tireless workrate have often helped lift the Blues when they need it the most, and the Blues coach says it’s instilled a great sense of confidence in the rest of the team, ahead of Saturday week’s elimination final against Brisbane at the Gabba.
Michael Voss says Patrick Cripps has gone to another level
“How he’s grown his game across this year is that probably last year teams that went to him and tagged him and put some attention to him could probably take a few things off him – they can’t do that anymore,” Voss said. “He’s developed his game and it’s a more rounded game, and then you put the leadership on top of that.
So now it’s not just about what he brings capacity-wise, it now brings the intangible things. I’ve just been impressed with the way he’s been able to do that and he’s forging a good leadership group.” The Blues will need Cripps at his very best if they are to defeat last year’s grand finalists Brisbane in front of their home fans at the Gabba on September 7.
Voss was a triple-premiership captain with the Lions as a player and has a better understanding than most about how crucial the form and leadership of Cripps will be to his Carlton side’s finals hopes. And the Blues coach says his skipper embodies exactly what AFL legend Leigh Matthews once told him about the greatest players and their ability to keep delivering for the team week in and week out.
Certainly the way Crippa has approached the last period of time – and the entire season to be fair – has been pretty impressive,” Voss added. “Leigh Matthews once said to me if you get names on the magnet you don’t have to worry about how they turn up – it’s just a luxury to have. You don’t have to worry about them, you just put their name on the board.
You don’t have to worry about if they’re prepared or not, they just get themselves ready. They get themselves ready for the physical battle, they get themselves ready for the mental battle and he does that every single week.” The Blues weren’t helped by the absence of tall targets Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay and Tom De Koning for the final round match against the Saints, but will be hopeful of fielding a side that looks closer to full strength against the Lions in a fortnight.
AFL week one finals schedule:
Second qualifying final: Port Adelaide v Geelong – Thursday September 5, Adelaide Oval, 7.40pm
Second elimination final: Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn – Friday September 6, MCG, 7.40pm
First qualifying final: Sydney v GWS – Saturday September 7, SCG, 3.20pm
First elimination final: Brisbane Lions v Carlton – Saturday September 7, Gabba, 7.30pm
