AFL 2023 news: Patrick Cripps raring for first ever finals series as Blues have heated session

As the Blues gear up for their first finals series in a decade, skipper Patrick Cripps has allayed Carlton fans’ worst fears.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 02: Matthew Kennedy and Marc Pittonet of the Blues have a push and shove during match simulation at a Carlton Blues AFL training session at Ikon Park on September 02, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Carlton captain Patrick Cripps has declared himself fit and ready to tackle Sydney before a sellout MCG crowd on Friday night, saying it will be a buzz to play in his first AFL final after 10 seasons and 180 games of waiting.

And he is convinced injured teammate Blake Acres will overcome the shoulder injury that he suffered against the Giants last week, despite only running laps at the Blues’ opening training session before around 2000 fans at Ikon Park.

Cripps missed the round 24 clash with Greater Western Sydney due to soreness around the rib area, but he got through a two-hour session on Saturday morning.

“I didn’t hold back (on Saturday), it was actually a really good confidence boost for me,” Cripps said.

“I feel good, having the week off definitely helped me. (I’m) fit and raring to go.”

The 28-year-old, who hasn’t played any sort of final since he was playing under 14s junior football in Western Australia, wore some extra padding protection in a willing match simulation that saw teammates Marc Pittonet and Matt Kennedy having a spirited push and shove that ended in teammates coming in to separate them.

Marc Pittonet and Matthew Kennedy of the Blues rough each other up during Carlton’s training session. Picture: Michael Klein.

The Blues mean business. Picture: Michael Klein.

“We train the way we want to play and when Pitto (Pittonet) is at his best, he is a big boy who loves throwing his weight around,” Cripps said.

“We love that (sort of) physicality.”

Harry McKay did not take part in the full match simulation session and headed into the rooms early, but Cripps said that would have solely been a load management issue.

Cripps said the Blues are not satisfied with having made the finals for the first time in a decade, and now wanted to make a statement on footy’s biggest stage.

“One thing is to make it (into finals), but the other thing is to impact it,” he said. “You don’t want to just make up the numbers.

“We want to have a big impact and we know our best footy stacks up.

“I feel like I have been waiting for this moment for a long time, as have a lot of the boys.”

But while the Swans will have a lot of players who have become regular finals players in recent seasons, he doesn’t feel as if the Blues’ inexperience in finals will hurt the club.

Patrick Cripps with fans. Picture: Michael Klein.

“We are fortunate playing for a big club like Carlton, we play in a lot of timeslots like round 1 (against Richmond) and against Collingwood where there is always 80 or 90,000.”

“Even the game against Collingwood at the end of last year, it was a finals-like atmosphere.

“Although a lot of us haven’t played in a final, we feel like mentally we are ready to go.”

He said the mood around the club had been buoyant this week, especially with the fans coming out in force for Saturday’s session ahead of the Blues’ AFLW match with Gold Coast.

He says the Blues army of fans can become one of the players’ weapons in the finals.

“It’s going to be pretty cool playing a home final … to get that first one in front of a big crowd when you have supporters like us … is great. They are just as excited as we are.”

Jack Silvagni runs laps. Picture: Getty Images

CHEERS FOR BLAKE AND JSOS

Patrick Cripps initially wasn’t sure what the roar of the crowd was during stages of the Blues’ match simulation session on Saturday morning … until he looked across and saw Blake Acres and then Jack Silvagni pushing through the laps.

“(The roar) was like (it was) at quarter-time (against) Melbourne when the Matildas’ penalty shootout was going on,” Cripps said with a smile.

The Carlton crowd got behind the hard work being done around the boundary line from Acres and Silvagni, who are battling injury issues ahead of the finals.

Acres dodged a serious collarbone injury last week but remains a question mark ahead of next week’s clash with Sydney.

He didn’t take part in any of the contract drills or the match simulation session on Saturday and while he was running freely, he was still slightly tentative in any ball work that he did.

Cripps says Acres remains confident he will be right to take on the Swans.

“He is pretty bullish that he will get up. I think he is pretty good,” Cripps said.

“He has been a pretty important player for us this year. He creates great energy for us and he does a lot of the stuff that you don’t see on the TV.”

The club remains hopeful he can take his place again against the Swans with the plan being he will ramp up his work in the coming days before a decision is made.

Silvagni, who is out of contract, is battling another knee strain, having undergone an arthroscope, but could play later in the finals if the Blues remain in the hunt.

“He has been huge for us,” Cripps said of Silvagni. “He is progressing pretty well. We love him.”

Marc Pittonet and Matt Kennedy clash. Picture: Getty Images

PITT’S PUSH ‘N SHOVE

Finals bring out a different sort of intensity as Marc Pittonet and Matt Kennedy showed during the club’s match simulation session.

Kennedy tackled Pittonet to the ground with a bit of force and gave him a shove, which the ruckman didn’t appreciate.

Pittonet immediately remonstrated with Kennedy in a push and shove that had a little bit of feeling in it as teammates came in to keep them apart.

It was the furthest possible thing from the Setanta O’hAilpin-Cameron Cloke incident in 2009 at the same venue, as there was no malice in this push and shove, only frustration.

Cripps said he loved seeing the intensity in training as he maintained that the Blues’ fightback in form in the second half of the year came from training as they play.

Pittonet and Kennedy made up soon after the incident as they got back into training.

Pittonet was omitted from the Blues’ final home-and-away game against the Giants, but is pushing hard to try and win a selection reprieve for the finals.

Charlie Curnow has a big part to play in finals. Picture: Michael Klein

Charlie Curnow was up against Tom De Koning for much of the match simulation sessions as the two big men went at each other.

Sam Docherty (soreness) and Jesse Motlop (illness), who missed the Giants’ clash, looked fine in the match simulation.

SWANS TO BRING THE HEAT

Cripps says the Blues will be ready for the heat the Swans will bring in Friday’s elimination final.

“(Pressure) is our brand, but it is also their brand too,” he said. “You talk about the ‘Bloods’ culture and we know it (pressure) is going to come our way.”

“Finals are all about a contested culture, so it will be an arm-wrestle for a long part of the game and it will be who can hold onto the contest for as long as they can.”

“They have got some weapons … Papps (Tom Papley) will be carrying on a bit on the field. He will bring energy. They have got guns like (Callum) Mills in the midfield and (Errol) Gulden has had an amazing year, and at half back they have dash with (Nick) Blakey.

“They have got some weapons, but we’ve got some weapons too.”

Originally published as AFL 2023 news: Patrick Cripps raring for first ever finals series as Blues have heated session