SOME OF James Williams’ key memories while at the Royal Children’s Hospital was watching his footy club while he was a patient there.

That journey started when he was just nine months old — long before he was one of Australia’s biggest Twitch streamer who is affectionately known by his gamer tag of ‘Cripsy’.

An “in-and-out” patient up until the age of 23, Cripsy joined a number of Royal Children’s Hospital staff, volunteers, patients and families at IKON Park today, a day before Carlton’s first Good Friday SuperClash against North Melbourne.

Speaking to Blues defender Mitch McGovern, he said that the Club - his club - taking part in this special day on the calendar was one which, simply, made a lot of sense.

“What a location. We’re right nearby and so close to the hospital: I know the players get around it every year and support the young people, but also their families too which is amazing,” Cripsy said.

“For me, I was a ‘Baggers fan that was a huge watcher of the games when I was in the hospital myself.

“I spent a huge amount of time there and it’s great to be part of something so big — and for something that’s not just footy. It goes beyond that.”

It’s through Cripsy’s Twitch streaming that he has become connected with some of his favourite players of today, particularly during the Covid shutdown period of 2020 where a number of Blues stayed engaged with Carlton Media channels through his Twitch stream.

One of those was McGovern, who donated signed boots to Cripsy’s channels and has been a supporter of his initiatives ever since.

For father-of-two McGovern, playing in the Good Friday SuperClash was one which extended beyond the game itself.

“We can put a smile on the families’ faces and the kids’ faces going through those times,” McGovern said.

“With two kids now, particularly this game . . . to pul smiles on their faces, make a little impact by visiting the hospital with kids — it will last a lifetime in photos and memories, but the time you’re there, it brightens up their day.

“They’re looking at a different thing rather than what they’re going through . . . it’s a small thing for us as footy players to put on the guernsey on Good Friday and play footy.

“For us, it’s very special — hopefully going forward we can play in a lot more.”

Documenting his shared journey with the Royal Children’s Hospital, it’s no surprise that Cripsy would love to see McGovern and his fellow Blues take part in the SuperClash for years to come.

While he combines his daily streaming with devoting a fair bit of time to supporting his favourite football team, Cripsy’s time volunteering at the hospital is unsurprisingly his highlight.

“It’s amazing to be back there and part of it: not as a patient - I go elsewhere for that - but to be volunteering,” he said.

“Seeing what happens on a regular basis amazing — it’s special.”

When asked by McGovern how best to help out, Cripsy’s response was this:

“To everyone coming along, it’s a sellout — well done! That’s absolutely fantastic.

“Thank you to the Carlton Football Club again: it’s an amazing opportunity and hopefully we get to do it again next year.

“You can donate outside the ground with some tin rattlers, and you can also donate via the link ‘The Good Clan’: we’re raising some money for the Good Friday Appeal. You can check that out below in the article . . . let’s break the fourth wall!”

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