AFL 2023: Patrick Cripps touches on the Blues season, his own form, goal kicking, finals and more

From Harry McKay’s goal kicking, the midfield dynamic, supporter outrage and the F-word, nothing was off limits when Patrick Cripps faced the music.

The heat is on the Blues. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

On Tuesday morning inside the impressive indoor training facility at Ikon Park, it was Patrick Cripps’ turn to put out the fires.

After his teammate Adam Cerra and CEO Brian Cook muffed their lines in recent weeks, the Carlton captain stepped up to try and placate an angry supporter group who are getting angrier by the week.

This is a time when leaders have to stand up and to his credit Cripps wasn’t trying to duck and dive and was at pains to give off the vibe that things are about to turn.

Given the Blues have lost four of their past five games, have slipped out of the eight and face the hottest team in the competition, Collingwood, on Sunday, there is an urgency about the situation and after 10 minutes of listening you almost wanted to believe him.

Jacob Weitering (left) and Patrick Cripps of the Blues look dejected after the loss to the Western Bulldogs. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Nothing was off the table, his own form, Harry McKay‘s goal kicking, the midfield dynamic, supporters outrage and of course the F-word.

He used the word “bullish” three times to emphasise how convinced he was that the Blues were on the right track.

This is Cripps‘ 10th season wearing the navy blue and he is yet to play a final.

“I think after games when you lose, I suppose you grieve like any other fan, any other supporter,” he explained. ”Once that initial thing wears off you get back to what you can control right now.

“Looking that far ahead (at finals) doesn‘t help us right now. I know everyone wants to look that far ahead but . . . we have to come in, look each other in the eye and keep getting better, keeping trusting the process. I know it is a cliche but it’s true.

“We get this right now, that helps us get to our end goal and that is our end goal, we want to have a say in finals and we want to play finals.

“I’m still really bullish on our goal but it comes back to week to week stuff.”

Michael Voss. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Cripps said the second half against the Western Bulldogs where they hit the front after only kicking one goal in the first two quarters before being overrun late was evidence of “a lot of growth” in the Blues game.

Execution rather than effort and intensity is the issue. “We’re not coming in here with our head held down,” he added.

On the outside noise which went up a level when club powerbroker Bruce Mathieson unloaded on the club’s administration in the lead-up to Saturday’s game, Cripps isn’t shying away from it.

“I think you have to acknowledge it as it’s not going away,” he said.

“You would be silly to say it’s not there. It’s the pros and cons of playing at a big club, there is going to be a lot more noise.

“The old saying, ‘nothing is as good as it seems and nothing is never as bad as it seems’, we really feel that. To get bogged down by the external noise and drop your head down then you are already beaten.

“We feel like we are in a good spot here, we know we have to get better and we’re not going to get discouraged by all the noise.”

He revealed the Blues had tried the oldest trick in the book to find a circuit breaker - going down to the pub and getting on the beers - so he wouldn’t be going there again during the eight-day break leading into the Pies showdown.

Kicking for goal was a big talking point after the Dogs loss with Cripps one of the culprits - along with McKay and goal sneak Jesse Motlop - for making a meal out of around-the-corner snap shots.

Harry McKay has struggled in front of goal. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“If I had that shot again I would take the exact same kick,” he said about his butchered left-foot attempt from 20m out. “I just didn’t execute and I don’t care what people do as long as they practice what they execute on game day and back themselves in.”

McKay, the 2021 Coleman Medallist, looks devoid of confidence with his goalkicking but the skipper has his back.

“I think if you look over the last 12 to 18 months his snap percentage has been really high and that has been a really successful kick for him,” Cripps said.

“I’m sure he would be as frustrated as anyone with some of his execution at the moment but I am going to keep backing him in.”

The last tactic in the Cripps defence of his embattled team was to use the old marathon cliche.

“This season is a marathon, we are nine rounds in and we are four and four with a draw. It‘s not like we are last on the ladder, we are right near the eight.

“So I’m not going to sit here saying we are in a rut, we’re definitely on the way up.”

BLUES SKIPPER FINED FOR BIZARRE ACTION AGAINST DOGS STAR

Carlton captain Patrick Cripps has been fined for pulling Bailey Smith’s mullet in the latest quirky match review decision this season.

The reigning Brownlow Medallist was handed a misconduct fine by match review boss Michael Christian after grabbing at the hair of the Western Bulldogs prime mover.

The pair were attempting to win the ball at a second quarter stoppage with Smith ahead of Cripps.

Smith fumbled the ball as it spilled from the contest above his head, with Cripps attempting to stop him.

With Cripps’ hands in that area, he then grabbed at Smith’s mullet and gave it a clear pull that saw him fall to his knees.

It continues a theme after North Melbourne’s Jy Simpkin was fined last week for throwing away the GPS recorder of St Kilda young gun Mattaes Phillipou.

Corr gets a week for Lord strike. Zurhaar gets a $3000 fine for rough contact against his old mate Horne-Francis. Patrick Cripps gets a $1000 misconduct fine. Why? Understand it’s pulling Bailey Smith’s mullet. Truth is stranger than fiction! https://t.co/pU8PniMOSFpic.twitter.com/53GnIebScu

— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) May 14, 2023

Last year Hawthorn’s star James Sicily was handed a $1000 fine for throwing away the headband of Western Bulldogs star Aaron Naughton.

Sicily ended up having to pay $1500 after the Hawks appealed the fine by written submission at the AFL tribunal.

Cripps luck might have run out with the judiciary after he last year successfully appealed a suspension for a high tackle that ultimately kept him eligible for the 2023 Brownlow Medal.

He won the Brownlow Medal with 30 votes in a thrilling count ahead of Lachie Neale (29 votes) and Gold Coast’s Touk Miller (27 votes).

Cripps leaves the ground after another loss for the Blues. Pic: Michael Klein

Meanwhile, North Melbourne defender Aidan Corr added to the Roos woes when he was suspended for the clash against Sydney for a strike on Port Adelaide forward Ollie Lord.

Corr was lucky to only be handed a one week ban for an intentional low-impact strike but the punch was open handed and Lord was unhurt after the pair had scuffled in the lead up.

Corr would have taken one of the Swans key forwards in one of few winnable games in coming months but instead will be one of up to six forced changes for Alastair Clarkson.

Cam Zurhaar was fined $3000 for rough conduct on former teammate Jason Horne-Francis.

Melbourne’s Tom Sparrow was also suspended for a week for rough conduct on Hawthorn’s Will Day.

FOOTY BOSS SAYS BLUES BOARD DOING ‘OUTSTANDING’ JOB

Carlton has emphatically stated its goal is to play finals this year as football boss Brad Lloyd launched a strong defence of the club’s board and administration.

The Blues have lost four of their past five games and were the subject of a savage attack from club powerbroker Bruce Mathieson leading into their latest defeat against the Western Bulldogs.

Coach Michael Voss said the club’s ball movement in the second half looked much more Carlton-like but bemoaned the Western Bulldogs winning big moments as they overran the Blues.

The club’s only big scalp this year is Geelong after victories over North Melbourne, West Coast and GWS, with Sunday’s home clash against Collingwood a perfect chance to snap that run.

Ruck-forward Tom De Koning missed a second week with concussion so will likely return through the VFL.

But after a week of debate over whether missing finals would be a failure, Lloyd said on Sunday there was no confusion from the club’s football department.

“We want to play finals. There is no doubt about that. We are here to play finals. We think we have got the personnel, the structure and resources. We want to play finals, that is our focus and we think we have got all we need to do that,” he said.

“I think the (scrutiny) is fair to a degree. It is fair to have some expectations on the team this year to compete and play well against the good sides. We have been a bit off in that area, so I can understand the frustration internally and externally. I think it’s fair.”

Carlton president Luke Sayers pats Nic Newman on the back as he walks off Marvel Stadium after losing to the Western Bulldogs. Picture: Michael Klein

Mathieson said he was disappointed in Brian Cook’s performance as the club’s CEO and questioned Lloyd’s performance, but the Blues football boss made clear Mathieson was ill-informed.

“I read the article, I have only met Bruce once, back in 2018, so I don’t know him very well at all. I think the board has been outstanding in my time,” Lloyd told SEN.

“They are functioning really well. We are pretty lucky to have (president) Luke Sayers. He has been sensational for myself and the playing group.

“I look at Brian Cook, to work with him in the back end of his career, we are so fortunate.

“He is such an unbelievable person and then I look at Vossy and the credentials he has got, one of the best things to have happen to the club was for him to come in.

“People can have their opinions, but I just think the club is in really good shape and really focusing on staying united. The heat is going to come on.

“I understand the expectation but I couldn’t feel more supported, and the club is in really good shape. We just need to get moving a bit on the field. There are some good people at the club.”

Originally published as AFL 2023: Patrick Cripps touches on the Blues season, his own form, goal kicking, finals and more