Carlton captain Patrick Cripps is eager as ever to assault the brand new AFL season head-on, brushing apart distractions that include Brownlow Medal success.
Port Adelaide star Ollie Wines, the 2021 Brownlow medallist, spoke on the eve of final season about being “rattled” by expectation that adopted his clinching of the sport’s most prestigious particular person honour.
But the demand for Cripps to match his private triumph subsequent 12 months has not bothered the 2022 winner.
Instead, the bullocking midfielder is match and targeted on steering the Blues to a long-awaited finals look after they missed out by the barest of margins final season.
“I’m as motivated as ever, to be honest,” Cripps stated.
“(Personal honours) is not the thing that motivates me the most. The way the season ended motivates me more, the team stuff.
“I’ve by no means really performed in a finals sequence, so that actually drives me.
“As tough as it was at the end of last year, and that (Brownlow) night was a great night between the club and myself, once we got away (on holiday) the motivation comes back pretty quick.”
Carlton sat within the top-eight for nearly all the 2022 marketing campaign however squandered a finals spot in dropping their final 4 video games.
The fade out included defeats to Melbourne and Collingwood by lower than a kick during the last two rounds.
The Magpies famously booted three late targets to pinch a one-point victory and seal their arch rivals’ destiny.
“You definitely watch it back … if you shy away from it you don’t improve,” Cripps stated.
“We’re still unpacking that at the moment and doing some things in the next few months to really build a foundation that we can build off going into next season.
“You’ve bought to take your classes and we learnt the exhausting approach within the final two video games, however the fantastic thing about that’s we really put ourselves in that place and in earlier years we hadn’t been in that place.
“I’ve always said as a player you’ve got to play in big games in front of big crowds and stand up in big moments, and that’s what our group will get to.”
Carlton had been dealt a fixture packed filled with blockbusters in anticipation of their stand up the ladder however have some considerations over midfield star Sam Walsh, who’s coping with ongoing again soreness from an harm that minimize his 2022 season one week brief.
“It’s been a bit frustrating for him … those things can linger, but he’s sort of hoping to re-join training in January,” Cripps stated.
“He’s lucky, he can run a lot better than me, so he doesn’t need as many weeks to get fit. He’ll be fine.”
Fellow midfielder George Hewett can also be on the mend after again surgical procedure that ended his 2022 marketing campaign early.
