How Patrick Cripps’ leadership is beginning to bring out the best in his young Carlton teammates
Carlton coach David Teague noticed a difference about Patrick Cripps early in the pre-season. His concerns sooned turned into admiration.
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David Teague wondered what the matter was for a few moments when he watched Patrick Cripps during one of Carlton’s pre-season sessions.
The Blues coach noted his co-captain and resident superstar appeared to be a little less demonstrative in the drills.
It was unusual … for Cripps usually trains as he plays — at full throttle — and his engagement with the group and his overall direction was normally one of his biggest assets.
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In this session at the start of pre-season, the AFLPA’s 2019 Most Valuable Player seemed to be leaving most of the discussion to teammates and was observing as much as leading.
It wasn’t until Teague sat down to watch the vision later that day that it became crystal clear what was occurring.
Cripps wasn’t less engaged.
He was, however, allowing others the chance to take the lead, encouraging teammates to have their say rather being the focal point himself.
As Teague explained to the Sunday Herald Sun on the club’s recent community camp to the Sunshine Coast, this snapshot of one training session was further proof of Cripps’ growing maturity as he heads into his second season as co-captain alongside Sam Docherty.
“For a while there, you (wonder), ‘Is he (Cripps) having as big an impact on training?’,” Teague said.
“But then, when you watch the vision, he is actually allowing other people to shine and I have loved that (about his pre-season).
“He has done an outstanding job — even at training, often sacrificing himself.”
Given what Cripps has already achieved, it is incredible to think he is yet to turn 25. He will do that on March 18, the day before Carlton takes on reigning premier Richmond in the season-opener.
But while he is already at a ridiculously high level as a player, he is still evolving as a leader.
And if you listen to those within the club, he has helped to foster leadership growth from his teammates this summer.
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That’s not to say Cripps hasn’t been going full throttle.
That was on evident on the Sunshine Coast last week, but the development of those around him has the coach excited and hopeful it might lessen the load on Cripps the leader, and to an extent, on Cripps the player.
The man himself has never been worried about the mantle he has had to carry in the midfield, as a modern incarnation of Charles Atlas metaphorically carrying the world on his shoulders.
Some, including former Blue Mark Maclure, have suggested that reliance on Cripps might prove too much one day.
Cripps has never worried about it, even if he can now see the advantage of others stepping up.
“It was hard early when there were a lot of young players playing,” he said.
“But these guys are all 22 and above now, so they are not really that young anymore.”
But while he has been more inclusive in his leadership, he won’t be holding anything back on game day.
“On field, I am always going to play the same way,” Cripps said.
“I am not the quickest guy, I can’t run all day, so you have to play to your strengths. I really enjoy the physical side of the game.
“I want to (play) finals footy and that’s what finals footy looks like. It is hard and physical.”
Last year was a rollercoaster for Carlton, with the first-year captain dealing with the mid-year sacking of coach Brendon Bolton and the evolution of the “Teague Train” momentum.
The pressure was immense on the skipper — and the club.
“You could see everything was caving in,” Cripps said, explaining how he felt so emotionally drained at the time of Bolton’s sacking that he almost didn’t play the next weekend.
“I was fatigued … I was drained. I was really battling to get up.
“That sort of went away from who I am. I am usually pretty up and about and like to see the positives.
“But the best thing you can do is to start talking to people. That helped, but I made sure once I got to the (Brisbane) game (in Round 12), I was up and about.
“I had a decent game. We won and we got through (it).”
Cripps’ “decent” game yielded 38 disposals and four goals in the 15-point win over the Lions.
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There were some season turning points, including interim replacement Teague forging a more attacking style, and a Round 15 away win over Fremantle without a host of their key players, including Cripps, who missed with a sprained foot.
“There was a game against Freo where myself, ‘Doc’ (Docherty), Harry (McKay), Charlie (Curnow), we were all out over there (in Perth),” he said.
“That gave the group momentum. I just saw massive growth within the club from that game.
“The boys definitely started believing after that game.”
By season’s end, Teague was a standout coaching appointment, Cripps finished off yet another remarkable individual season by finishing equal third in the Brownlow Medal, and more importantly, the Blues had won six of their last 11 games under the new coach.
Still, Cripps conceded he was cooked at season’s end and needed a break.
He spent 10 nights in Greece, some time in Rome, took his partner to Bali and had a trip back to see his family in Western Australia.
“I had a ripper break,” Cripps said.
“I like to get out of Melbourne and refresh a bit at the end of the season.
“It was a tough year, but I learnt a lot from it.
“Although it wasn’t ideal, when you fail, either individually or as a collective, you learn a lot from it. What happened really galvanised the group.”
Cripps’ words about the tightness of the group resonate when you observe the Blues at close quarters.
He has spoken to a range of people about leadership requirements and wants to keep learning.
“Early in my footy, it was Michael Jamison … he helped me a lot and I am still close to him. Juddy (Chris Judd) helped me a lot.
“There’s a range of people at the club and within my family and friends … I can talk to and get things off my chest. They are the people who have my best interests at heart.”
One of his greatest passions away from football is surfing, which he has turned to at times across the past two years.
“Surfing is one of the things that makes me relax,” he said.
“(2018) was probably the toughest year I had in terms of footy … we only won two games and we were getting blown out a bit.
“It sort of forced me to take my mind off things, especially when you overthink a few things.
“You can drive down the coast and have a good surf. Sometimes I go down with the Curnow boys to Jan Juc, or to Phillip Island.”
Cripps says the Blues are well placed to attack 2020, with a coach who knows the direction in which they are going, with Docherty set to make a welcome playing return and with a maturing list, complemented by a few ready-made recruits.
“I know we are going to get there pretty soon, whether it is this year or next,” he said of the Blues’ finals aspirations. “I am really confident with the group that it will happen.
“I’m not going to put a time frame on it … but I’m also not going to put a ceiling on it.”