CARLTON has welcomed back captain Patrick Cripps for Saturday’s game against Fremantle.

Returning to his home state of Western Australia, Cripps has been named after missing last weekend’s narrow win over Port Adelaide due to a hamstring injury.

Cripps’ inclusion marks the Blues’ solitary change for the trip across the Nullarbor. 

It’s a like-for-like replacement for the captain, with Matthew Kennedy (soreness) coming out of the side. 

The midfielder had soreness following Sunday’s game against Port Adelaide: with the six-day break, he will miss this week and is expected to be available for Round 7.

It’s an otherwise unchanged line-up for the Blues, with the Round 6 clash to mark Will Setterfield’s 50th at AFL level: the No.43 has locked down a spot on the wing for the Blues this season.

Jack Newnes also reprises his role in the Carlton line-up, meaning it will be his first game at Optus Stadium since his after-the-siren heroics against Fremantle back in 2020.

Cripps’ fellow West Australians in Zac Fisher and Jack Martin have also been named, while Jesse Motlop has been named an emergency alongside Jordan Boyd, Tom De Koning and Paddy Dow: one of those four will be named medical sub an hour before the bounce. 

The Round 6 clash with Fremantle begins at 5:40pm AWST (7:40pm AEST).

In: Patrick Cripps
Out: Matthew Kennedy (soreness)