CONNECTION and care.

That's what Charlie Curnow is looking to provide as the newest member of Carlton's leadership group, and Patrick Cripps thinks he'll deliver in spades.

The Blues' new co-vice captain joined the skipper for a press conference on Wednesday morning: this is what they had to say.

Curnow on being awarded the co-vice captaincy:

“It’s a massive honour. I’m so lucky to be standing alongside ‘Crippa’, ‘Weiters’ and ‘Walshy’, they’ve done an amazing job. I can’t wait to learn off them.

“There were a few chats last year and at the backend of the season. A few chats with ‘Crippa’ over the time. I’m lucky that the boys in the forward line came together, we discussed it a bit further, ‘Crippa’ and others came to me to share their opinions and I just felt like I’m very fortunate to be in a position to help out the forward line and football club. 

“In saying that, our forward line as a unit has a lot of leaders in itself. We’ve got ‘H’, Owies, ‘Jacky’ Martin, Lachie Fogarty, Matty Cottrell running around — we’re such an energetic bunch that has a lot of different characteristics. Hopefully we can showcase that this year.

“I’d like to bring a bit of energy to the group and I’d like to display that in my football and also off the field, inside the football club. I want to enjoy to spending time with my teammates, getting around them and making them feel a bit better.”

Cripps on Curnow’s leadership qualities:

“He leads by example. He’s the only player on our list in the last two years to not miss a game. It’s amazing what he’s done and what he’s achieved in those two years given the long injury layoff. 

“As a leader, he’s infectious, he brings people together and when he talks, people listen. He’s got a presence about him when he plays, and that’s what you want as a leader. We feel like we’ve got all areas covered now on the ground in terms of our leadership group, and we feel like we’ve got a lot of guys under that that provide a lot of density. That’s what we need to achieve what we want to achieve.”

Curnow on the forward mix:

“All those boys, we spent a night down in St Andrews the other night. There are a few sore soldiers, we were rolling the cricket ball a bit. I get to provide energy, but I get to give energy because they give me so much as a group. 

“We have a lot of fun, but then we know when to have a crack and a serious time with our football. When we enter the field, I know they’ve got my back. That’s the greatest part about team sport, having good mates. Ed played a role like that for a long time. It’s funny — he was on the way out so I took his position!”

Curnow on his brother Ed’s impact:

“Over the years, I was in a very fortunate position that I had a great brother to look up to. I watched him on and off the field, and he raised three kids and he’s always someone I looked up to. 

“I’m still learning as a leader, but I was able to take a gauge and learn off him over the years. I took a lot from his football and the way he developed himself as a player and as a person off-field. I owe a lot of my success on and off the field to him.”

Curnow on what he learnt from last year’s finals campaign:

“For me personally and as a team, we made a prelim and we’re not satisfied as a unit. There’s a lot to go after. All that leads into Opening Round which is 30 days away. That chase starts then. We’ve been working on a lot of offence and defence, we can’t wait to showcase it.

“I probably went into that finals series and looked at it as a different ball game. I didn’t perform as well as what I would’ve liked to in the end, but that’s the nature of our game: I get to have another crack at it this year. We’re starting in Opening Round and we’re putting our best foot forward from them. It’s a team game, so I’m looking forward to playing with our forward line as a unit.”

Cripps on the season to come:

“We’re excited. We’ve done a good body of work. We’ve gone to work on a few areas of our game where we feel we can level up a bit. We feel like we built a really good platform for the group last year. 

“We found what works for us and a real clear identity on the way we want to play. A bit like everyone in the footy environment, we’re just excited to get out there and have a bit of fun — like these boys back here! We know what we’re about, we want to have us much fun as we can and we’re just keen to get stuck in now.”

Cripps on the connection of the group:

“We’ve been through some tough times together now and the core of our group has been together for a while. We know what we’re about, we do a lot of stuff off the field to create energy and have a bit of fun. It can get serious at times, footy, so we want to lighten it up a bit. That’s when we play our best footy. 

“There’s a bit of carry on, but we love it. We’re really close, and it all comes off the back of working really hard and wanting the best for each other.”

Cripps on continuing the momentum from last year:

“We celebrated the year for what it was, because in the middle part of the year compared to where we got to, you’ve got to celebrate that. Sometimes you can always look to what’s next, but we tried to really celebrate that as a group. But obviously when you do lose and you don’t get the end goal, there still is that determination to go a few steps further. 

“We’ve gone to work, we go into this year knowing what we’re about and what makes us a good side. That gives us the platform to attack it. We worked that out mid-last year when we were 15th on the ladder, so it’s lucky this year that we’re on an even playing field. Hopefully we can start like we finished.”