Patrick Cripps looks a cut-price SuperCoach stud in 2018 but is it too good to be true?

PATRICK Cripps, Carlton’s midfield ace was hit by injury in 2017 making him a cut-price SuperCoach stud. Or is he? Al Paton looks at why we should or shouldn’t pick the Blue.

CARLTON’S midfield ace is ready to step into the AFL elite this year and that makes him a fantastic SuperCoach selection. Right?

We thought the same thing about Patrick Cripps last year and it didn’t quite work out.

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Will this year be different?

Here are the reasons to pick - and avoid - the rising Blues star.

Patrick Cripps at Carton training. Picture: David Crosling

WHY WE SHOULD PICK HIM

* Forget 2017. Cripps missed basically the entire pre-season with a back problem then copped a broken leg that ended his season. It also emerged he had played with a crack in his jaw (following a punch from Jordan Lewis) and several broken ribs. With the past 12 months a write-off, we should look back to 2015 and 2016 for guidance.

* That news is much more positive. In 2015, his second season after playing just three matches in his debut year, Cripps averaged 96 points a game. The next season he jumped to 108 but it was the back end of the year which had SuperCoach players very, very excited.

He didn’t score below 100 from Round 16 and finished like a steam train, averaging 132 over the final six rounds - at age 21.

* Even with all his injury problems, he still managed a 98 average last year which included scores of 157, 134 and 126. Imagine how he’ll go when he’s fully fit!

* Cripps plays a very SuperCoach-friendly game, winning most of his possessions in a contest and recording high numbers for clearances and tackles. His height also helped him take 11 contested marks last year.

* He’s flying this pre-season.

* His price of $537,300 is excellent value, making him the 32nd-most expensive midfielder. It’s not crazy to think he could finish the season as a top-six scorer so if you’re picking in price v scoring potential (which is the whole idea) he has to be right near the top of the list.

WHY WE SHOULDN’T PICK HIM

* Maybe it’s silly to disregard an entire season from our calculations. Yes, Cripps had his injury worries last year but isn’t that something we need to bear in mind when forking out the cash for a top-line midfielder? Will he get through this year unscathed or will he cop another collision injury, or will that stress reaction in his back come back to haunt him?

* Most of the hype around Cripps is based on a six-week purple patch 18 months ago and, really, the final two games of 2016 when he scored 153 and 140. That last score was against an Essendon team decimated by supplement saga suspensions that won three games for the year (admittedly including that one against Carlton).

The previous week he had 30 touches (and 13 tackles) against the 11th-placed Demons, who had nothing to play for. Impressive numbers, sure, but is it realistic to expect that every week?

* As much hype as there is around Cripps he has never averaged more than 108 points in a season. Josh Kelly averaged 114 last year and Clayton Oliver 111. Nat Fyfe, who is also under $600k, has two 120-plus seasons on his record. There are only so many midfield spots available.

* What impact will the departure of Bryce Gibbs to Adelaide have on Cripps? He’s now clearly the big dog in the Blues midfield and will carry a huge load, in a tough role where he’s getting smashed at the bottom of packs every week. How will his body cope? Will coaches send a tagger to him to make life even more difficult? Marc Murphy is 30 and won’t be the No.1 target forever.

* How many games will Carlton win this year? The Blues are in rebuild mode, traded Bryce Gibbs then lost Sam Docherty to a season-ending knee injury. Winning teams score more SuperCoach points and Cripps might not get to sing the song too often.