PATRICK Cripps says Carlton’s playing group will learn plenty about themselves – and each other – as they band together to find a way out of their on-field slump.
The Blues have fallen to 11th on the ladder, three games and significant percentage out of the top eight, after a horror loss to Port Adelaide on Thursday night, and face top-ranked Collingwood at the MCG on Friday night.
Cripps and his teammates combined for just one goal in the first half to concede a 46-point lead to the Power at Adelaide Oval. They eventually lost by 50 points after stemming the scoreboard bleeding in the second half.
The manner of the defeat piled pressure on senior coach Michael Voss and other club officials, and prompted vandals to deface the walls of Carlton’s Ikon Park home on Friday morning, calling for change at board level.
Cripps, the Carlton captain who has been no stranger to an on-field crisis during his time at the Blues, told Brisbane co-captain Lachie Neale and Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell on AFL.com.au‘s new vodcast On The Inside that these were “the toughest times” for any leader at a football club.
“The thing I really try to focus on as well with the other leaders is making sure we’re all on the same page, but also trying to keep the energy high … as much as you can, you’ve got to try and block the external out and it can be loud,” Cripps said.
“Like for the moment, for us, it’s really loud on the outside, so (it’s about) how you can keep eyes in and really control and live the standards but also create the energy.”
Patrick Cripps leads Carlton from the field after losing to Port Adelaide in round 16, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
Having already lived through difficult periods in 2019 and 2021, which resulted in the departure of former coaches Brendon Bolton and David Teague, respectively, and a mid-season slump in 2023 that preceded a stirring run to the preliminary final, Cripps has plenty of experience in leading a team in crisis.
The Blues face their arch rivals the Magpies in a massive Friday night blockbuster, where there will be no respite from the spotlight as the Blues attempt to resuscitate their faltering campaign.
“You find out a lot about yourself, I reckon, (in) these times, not only as a player but as a leader, but also (about) guys around you, the ones that really want to step up and dig in versus, like I said before, the ones that want to step away,” he told Mitchell.
“But I feel like we’ve got the right group of people at the club to really band together and stick together.
“And we’ve got your mob this week, mate, so it’s always a big clash, big rivalry, which usually brings out the best in both sides.”
Patrick Cripps in action during Carlton’s clash with Collingwood in round 21, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos
Cripps, Neale and Mitchell are the faces of On The Inside, a new player-led vodcast debuting on AFL.com.au on Tuesday, July 1.
Boasting an incredible five Brownlow medals between them, the star-studded trio is as well placed as any in the game to take fans inside all facets of life as an AFL player and launch the first AFL player-led show on the AFL digital platform.
From navigating the physical and mental toll of a long and winding season, to managing relationships with coaches and teammates, each week will see a mix of the three champion midfielders reflect on their own games, share a players’ perspective on industry news topics, and provide insights on various components of elite-level sport.
Skippered by Mitchell, who has built his Ball Magnets content and training brand over several years, new episodes of On The Inside will drop every Tuesday on AFL.com.au, the AFL Live App and YouTube, with a podcast version also available on all podcast apps.
Patrick Cripps and Tom Mitchell recording On The Inside, a new player-led vodcast on AFL.com.au. Picture: AFL Photos
