Brownlow medal 2022: How Harry McKay’s mum pulled handbrake on Patrick Cripps before big moment
Early doors Patrick Cripps thought his Brownlow chances had taken a big hit and decided to knock back a few coldies. But things changed quickly. Luckily he had someone in his corner.
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Newly minted Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps has revealed that a teammate’s mum “saved his night” at the ceremony after he thought his chances had disappeared early on.
Cripps took out the 2022 Brownlow Medal in thrilling circumstances, with three votes in the final game of the season to finish one-vote clear.
But the Carlton captain revealed that he thought his chances were gone after Round 1, which meant he started to knock back the beers.
And this required teammate Harry McKay’s mum to look out for him once it became apparent that he was a good chance to win the Medal later on.
“It was an interesting one, I thought I was a lock for the three votes in Round 1 and I only got one so I started having a few,” he said on Triple M.
“I knew if I was close with five rounds to go I would be a chance and Harry McKay’s mum was next to me so she started filling my water glass up and I skoled a couple of them.
“She saved my night.”
‘Epic dummy spit’ got TJ invited to Brownlow
Tony Jones has backflipped on his claims the AFL snubbed him in the Brownlow invite list saying his epic dummy spit landed him a seat at the table.
A week after telling the league to “get stuffed” and that the Brownlow Medal was a “crap night”, Jones said he had attended the night of nights.
“I was invited. I was always invited,” he told Channel 9 the morning after.
“It took a little dummy spit to get there. I was invited. On an AFL table. It was a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful night.”
Jones went on to praise the winner Patrick Cripps as a “remarkable young man” and said not a single person in the room had begrudged the Carlton star the honour.
“He had a big year,” Jones said.
“I think the thing about Patrick Cripps is it’s the Patrick Cripps off the field that everyone
is just so impressed with. He’s a remarkable young man. And the way he spoke about his family, he’s from country WA and from the farm and spoke about how his dad in 2006 and 20007, it was, the era with the big drought how he battled through it.
“Never changed his demeanour. It was absolutely beautiful the way he spoke about his family. They were there to help celebrate with him along with his fiancee. If I guess any sporting administrator would love a list of Patrick Cripps not only because of his football prowess but because of the young man he is. Not a person in the room who he begrudged him that honour last night.”
10/10 hungover: Cripps ‘crying out for sleep’ after bender
Patrick Cripps said he was “close to a 10” when asked how hungover he was just hours after winning the Brownlow Medal.
It came down to the final round when Cripps polled three votes for his monster 35-possession performance in the heart-breaking one-point loss to Collingwood at the MCG to poll 29 votes ahead of Brisbane’s Lachie Neale (28) and Gold Coast’s Touk Miller (27).
Cripps, 27, trailed Neale by two votes heading into the final game of the season but polled the maximum votes to pip the Lions’ midfielder by one in a thrilling count.
And it seems the after party went long into the night with Cripps looking exhausted yet thrilled when talking to the media the morning after.
“I’d go close to 10,” he said when asked how hungover he was out of 10.
“It’s been a long night. It’s all worth it. Been great fun. I’ve had a few mates here and family to celebrate. Yeah, it’s a weird feeling being outside so early. But it’s all worth it.
“I’m crying out for a bit of sleep right now.
“No you have to do it. All worth it when you win the Brownlow. Got to keep punching out the next few hours then I’ll be hitting the pillow pretty quick.
“Mate, my eyes, once I’ve had two beers I’m done. You can tell my eyes I left my eyes at the counter last night.
“It’s been a good night – I had my family over and a couple of mates from the club.
Cripps also revealed he had been forced to make a last minute dash back to Australia from a post season holiday after the Brownlow was brought forward because to a clash with the Queen’s funeral.
“I got in last night,” he said.
“Obviously with the Queen passing it wasn’t ideal – obviously a sad loss – but I was hoping it was going to get moved to Tuesday so I would get a few more days to get over the jetlag.
“We got in last night. It was fine for me, it was more my partner.”
A marathon four-hour tribunal fight which cleared Patrick Cripps of a controversial bumping charge has helped secure the inspirational Carlton captain this year’s Brownlow Medal.
The superstar onballer was suspended for two games for flattening Brisbane Lions’ Callum Ah Chee in Round 21 but a last-ditch bid from Carlton’s legal team over an error of law ensured Cripps took out the game’s top honour on Sunday night.
Say my name (right)
You’d think by now Gillon McLachlan would have a handle on the biggest names in AFL and how to pronounce them, but he doesn’t always get it right.
While reading out the votes at Sunday night’s Brownlow Medal, the AFL CEO stumbled over the pronunciation of Christian Petracca.
And the Melbourne star appeared less than impressed seeming to say “it’s Petracca for f***s sake”.
Watch below.
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Petracca frustrated with Gill's pronunciation of his name 😂🤌#Brownlowpic.twitter.com/is7oSIr5AT
— Basil Zoccali (@BasilZoccali) September 18, 2022
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