IT'S A moment that will truly endure for the tens of thousands of Carlton supporters who tuned into Seven’s live telecast on Sunday night: Patrick Cripps earning a hearty hug from the great John Nicholls on his way to the podium to accept the 2022 Brownlow Medal.

For Nicholls, an invitee to the count as a Legend of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, this was a spur of the moment happening.

“It was all very impromptu,” Nicholls said. “I was seated at a table with Alastair Lord, Peter Bedford and Ross Smith, about two or three tables away from the stage, and when Patrick was declared the winner I thought there was an opportunity to make a move.

“I shook hands with ‘Crippa’ and offered my congratulations. He was a very worthy winner, just as the other three or four up there (Lachie Neale, Touk Miller, Andrew Brayshaw and Clayton Oliver) would have been worthy winners.

Space barely allows for the listing of Nicholls’ on-field achievements through 328 games and 18 seasons at Carlton - Best First-Year Player in 1957, premiership player in 1968 and 1970 (as captain), and 1972 (as captain-coach); and five-time winner, four-time runner-up and two-time third placegetter in the best and fairest award that now carries his name.

Then there’s the record 31 appearances for Victoria, and representation in the League’s Team of the Century (as is the case with the Carlton equivalent).

To this day, the 83 year-old Nicholls maintains an active interest in Carlton and its people - Cripps included. As he said: “Patrick and I have had a good relationship since he started and we often talk about the game”.

In Brownlow Medal terms, he is also uniquely placed in having known each of the Club’s five previous winners – from the inaugural Medallist (and later secretary) Bert Deacon with whom he closely worked, through to the subsequent medallists John James and Gordon Collis with whom he played, and finally Greg Williams and Chris Judd.

On Brownlow night at the Palladium, Nicholls got the chance to chat with Collis and Greg Williams. Come Grand Final day at the MCG, he’ll be there to present the Jock McHale Medal to the premiership coach, and on the following Friday night he’ll be a welcome presence at the Plenary to place the John Nicholls Medal over the neck of this year’s winner.