Patrick Cripps hits out at ‘factually incorrect’ reports that he refused to stay in team hotel

Caroline Wilson has personally apologised to Patrick Cripps for her incorrect report which the Carlton skipper said questioned his commitment to the football club.

Veteran journalist Caroline Wilson rang Carlton captain Patrick Cripps to personally apologise for her incorrect report about him staying away from his teammates before the Blues game in Sydney.

Cripps, and his mother Cath, both hit out on social media with the Blues skipper “pissed off” at Wilson’s statement on Monday night’s Footy Classified program which he says questioned his character and commitment.

Willson claimed Cripps and teammate Sam Docherty had stayed at a “boutique hotel in Paddington” rather than at the team’s hotel before Friday night’s loss to the Swans at the SCG.

Channel Nine released a statement on Twitter saying: “On Monday night it was reported on Footy Classified that Patrick Cripps and Sam Docherty stayed at a hotel separate to the one used by the rest of the team while in Sydney on Friday night. This was wrong.

“We have spoken with Patrick and apologised.”

Wilson made the embarrassing phone call to Cripps on Tuesday morning as the furore ignited on social media.

Cripps’ Instagram post was liked by current AFL players including Trent Cotchin, Nathan Broad and Zach Merrett, and Cripps’ mother, Cath, also commented on the post.

“I find it abhorrent and unbelievable that anyone would question your commitment to your team or Carlton. Love you”,” Cath wrote.

Cripps did stay an extra night in Sydney with his wife as he had the weekend off, changing hotels once the majority of his teammates had returned to Melbourne on Saturday morning.

On Tuesday morning Cripps emphatically hit back.

“I can cop criticism about form and losing but when it’s factually incorrect and questions my character and commitment to the team it pisses me off,” Cripps wrote on Instagram.

“This is the accountability as players that we would love to see with certain people in the media.

“For clarity for everyone, I stayed with the team the entire time they were in Sydney and joined my wife and family members on the Sat night as we had the weekend off.

“We aren’t where we want to be as a team right now, but never question my commitment to this team or club.”

Cripps’ post had more than 10,000 likes and hundreds of supportive comments less than 30 minutes after it was published.

Player agent Matthew Bain, who manages both Cripps and Docherty also tweeted: “That’s a complete lie. Both players stayed with the team in Syd while partners stayed at separate hotel!”

Originally published as Patrick Cripps hits out at ‘factually incorrect’ reports that he refused to stay in team hotel