AFL 2023: Walsh, Cerra confirmed ins for Carlton as Cripps under cloud

Carlton coach Michael Voss says the Blues will pull out all the stops to enter the finals with a 10-game winning streak.

Carlton coach Michael Voss wants sore captain Patrick Cripps to play against GWS on Sunday if he makes it through Thursday’s training session. Picture: Russell Freeman / Getty Images

Carlton coach Michael Voss says he will pick the strongest available side to face GWS on Sunday and will be “extremely disappointed” if the Blues can’t match the intensity of their opponents in a potential preview of his club’s first final in a decade.

As the Blues prepare to welcome back Sam Walsh, Adam Cerra and Mitch McGovern from injury alongside other potential inclusions Lachie Fogarty and Matt Kennedy, Voss says no player will be rested against the Giants, including sore captain Patrick Cripps if he passes a fitness test.

Voss said the Blues were determined to carry their hard-won momentum into finals and needed their best personnel on the field in round 24 to “build cohesiveness”.

He expected the five returning Blues to all be available pending any training mishaps, while he was tight-lipped about the complaint affecting Cripps, who was restricted to just 14 disposals in the win over Gold Coast.

Michael Voss says sore skipper Patrick Cripps will not be rested before his first ever finals match provided he passes a fitness test on Thursday. Picture: Russell Freeman / Getty Images

“If the players are fit, they’ll play, if they’re not fit, they won’t play. We’re pretty determined to go to the line as hard as we possibly can,” Voss said.

“(Cripps) is one of those players who has to get through training … he didn’t train a couple of days ago, so we would like him to make sure he gets through a bit (on Thursday).

“I won’t confirm what (Cripps’ injury) is, other than he’s got to get through training.”

Voss said there was no temptation to keep tricks up his sleeve against the Giants should the Blues have to meet them again in the first week of finals.

“No I don’t think so – they way we’ve approached most of the year has been about trying to get our game healthy … we’ve struggled so much to be able to get the momentum we have, we just don’t want to give that away,” Voss said.

“We feel like the benefit of being able to get (the returning players) back and build that cohesiveness is really important,” he said.

Sam Walsh (pictured) and Adam Cerra will return to the Blues midfield against GWS on Sunday. Picture: Darrian Traynor / Getty Images

“The main area that it affects at the moment is probably the midfield, given a couple of people are likely to come back into that part of the ground, the other areas have not so many changes.”

Voss said the Blues could not afford to let complacency seep into their game despite securing their first finals appearance since 2013.

“I’d be extremely disappointed if that’s the attitude we took into this game … we’re not afforded anything,” he said.

“It’s taken a lot of energy to be able to get back to this particular place, and if there’s a group who should understand that and not take it for granted right now, it should be us.

“Whatever situation GWS find themselves in (the Giants will need to win to qualify if the Bulldogs beat Geelong the day before), we hope we bring the same level of intensity no matter the moment.”

Voss said the Blues would find out the extent of Jack Silvagni’s “unusual” repeated knee joint sprain on Friday.

“We’re hoping it’s only a short period of time,” he said.

Originally published as AFL 2023: Walsh, Cerra confirmed ins for Carlton as Cripps under cloud