PATRICK Cripps was pleased with the way his side performed on the weekend, saying it was their most complete game of the 2022 season so far.
Here's what Cripps had to say on cohesion, building chemistry and every player striving to get better for the team.
On the win over North Melbourne:
"I think we were pleased after the game the way we played across four quarters. The third quarter was our best quarter on the weekend so the boys were happy with the result and we’ll go in and review today, keep finding ways to keep getting better but it was definitely a step in the right direction for us."
On Carlton's brand of football:
"When you have a whole new set of coaches and game plans, it’s just finding your identity as a team. Learning - as we go - what really works for us and the next stage is that consistency.
"I think the best part of it week to week is every guy is trying to get better and as a collective, what your role is in the system is and trying to master that to get the best out of yourself to help the team.
"We feel like we’ve got a lot of improvement to go but I felt like on the weekend, it was probably our best four-quarter game."
On Michael Voss:
"The thing I’ve noticed about him is the way he empowers a lot of coaches around him. I think his relationship with players has been unbelievable in terms of building their confidence and I feel like he’s getting the most out of a lot of guys.
"He’s been really good, I can’t speak highly enough of him as well as the other new coaches we’ve got in."
On where Carlton can get to in 2022:
"I’m not thinking that far ahead yet. It is the best place we’ve been in since I’ve been here and it has been a lot of hard work over a lot of years to get to this point, but we feel like we’re only scratching the surface over what we can do.
"We’ll find ways today to keep getting better and as we keep improving our roles in the system, I feel like we’ll be in a strong position in the back half of the year."
On his own performance:
"I just wanted my footy to do the talking and that’s been my sole focus this year. It’s hard to tell, in the off-season I went and worked really hard to get in a really good position to set up my year and had a really good pre-season and built a lot of chemistry with the midfielders.
"We had a really good pre-season block with the midfield group so that cohesion is really coming out now. I feel like a lot of us are playing really good footy around the ball and complementing each other in there."
On his teammates:
"I can’t speak highly enough of the guys around me. Guys like George [Hewett] and 'Cez' [Adam Cerra] came in: they're big bodies, really clean, hard contested players.
"You got guys like 'Walshy' and Matt Kennedy who are getting better as well. I feel like our VFL has been going really strong as well so talking about a whole 40-42-man system, guys like Paddy Dow are knocking down the door. Jack Carroll came in on the weekend and played a really good role.
"We feel like we’ve got a lot of depth in those areas.
"Even guys like Jack Newnes and Lochie O’Brien played really good games on the wings and with 'Pitto' going down, Tom De Koning I thought really stepped up on the weekend. People forget he’s only 22 so for him to play that ruck role at such a young age is exciting for us going forward."
On the close-knit group:
"That’s one thing we’ve always prided ourselves on is being a really close group. Sometimes through tough times you’ve got to really stick together and that’s what we did last year and we’re a group that plays with high energy and a lot of passion.
"There’s a few moments from the game that stood out. Jack Carroll kicking his first goal, it’s a special moment in anyone’s career. Big 'Weiters' kicking a goal as well, he’s saved a lot of goals for us so for him to get on the end of one was nice.
"We’re at our best when we’re celebrating the little things and playing with energy and passion and that’s what we did on the weekend."
