NORTHAMPTON.

3750 km away from IKON Park sits the town where Blues' skipper Patrick Cripps grew up in Western Australia, where the youngster loved footy—particularly the West Coast Eagles—and farming.

Revealing he would’ve liked to be a farmer if he didn’t make the AFL, Cripps had the fortune of being drafted to Carlton at the end of 2013.

Now, he is poised to play his 200th game for the Club.

The 29-year-old’s story is one of learning, leadership, and the importance of putting your best foot forward, but the midfield bull admits his journey is continuing to build.

“It’s a good moment to reflect—when you first start out getting drafted, you feel like 100 games sort of solidified you as an AFL player, but 200 feels like a pretty big milestone,” Cripps said.

“It does go quick and I still remember the day I got drafted like it was yesterday, but there are also elements where you feel like you’ve got a lot left in the tank as well.

“It’s good to stop and think, but I still have the drive and the ambitions to keep pushing forward for as long as I can.”

A four-time John Nicholls Medallist and five-and-a-half years (and counting) as captain, Cripps has certainly left his mark at Carlton, with his first 199 games being nothing short of elite.

Dedicated to his craft as much as he’s dedicated to leading, inspiring others on and off the field is what brings Cripps joy.

Described by his mother Cath as a ‘natural-born leader,’ the Western Australian product says it was his parents who instilled in him his sense of duty to others.

“In a way, it’s been ingrained in me, my parents always took on leadership roles in the community,” he said.

“From a country background, I’ve always done those things in terms of my own leadership, but also, I really enjoy just learning about leadership.

“I feel I’ve got a really clear framework of what my leadership style is now and how I lead—that will keep evolving. I’ll continue to become a better leader as my career goes on.”

There won’t be many who can disagree with Cripps’ leadership skills, providing a cool head, an encouraging style, and most of all, leading by example in everything he does.

While he’s truly been through some tumultuous times at Carlton, his ability to keep the group together and unite them through a common goal is something that will be remembered long after his career is done.

“It’s hard when you’re not getting nourishment on the weekend and we’re in an industry where wins or losses can dictate jobs,” he admitted.

“The hardest thing is just keeping guys optimistic and hopeful that the future will get better, but also at the same time facing the reality of where we were at.

“We’re in a position now where I feel like we’ve had a lot of stability for a couple of years. We’ve got a highly motivated group that is really selfless and driven.”

Cripps got a small taste of that success last year when he led the Blues to their first finals victory in a decade.

The best moment so far in his AFL career, the jump from regular footy to finals atmosphere somewhat surprised the skipper, but it also fueled his hunger to experience those moments again.

“The finals are just a different beast,” he said.

“I got to experience that last year—those games at the MCG—it was just everything and more than what I thought it would be.

“When you’ve been grinding for a long time, to get a group to not only play finals but to be able to win finals, it was rewarding because it sort of makes all the hard work start to pay off.”

A completely different person than the 18-year-old country boy who moved to Melbourne in 2013, the now father, husband, and captain’s perspective has grown over his 11 years in football.

Admitting a better life balance has been the key to staying at the top of his game for so long, Cripps can’t overstate the impact his support system has had on his life and the person he has evolved into.

“You realize that footy is great, it’s my job and I love it, but there is a bigger world out there,” he said.

“It won’t stop me from getting the most out of myself from footy, but you’ve got a lot of other things in your life that give you joy and happiness.

“With Mon and little Koda—now when I go home, I just love being with them so much.

“I’ve been very lucky along the way to have great family support, and I’ve got some great friends—not only at the footy club—but guys I grew up with.”

Cripps is clear on how he wants to look back on his career—not that it’s finished anytime soon for the 29-year-old.

Having built his own culture, values, and lessons to live by since his time at Carlton, the 200-gamer wants to inspire people to be the best version of themselves possible.

“I get a lot of thrill out of inspiring younger people coming through because I was once in their shoes, growing up on a farm just watching the footy,” he said.

“I idolised some of the Eagles players and they laid the foundation for me to dream.

“I know that I’m in that position now where the way I play and the way I show up on the field can inspire and make kids dream, whether that’s in footy or in life.

“A few things I always bank on: you can work hard, have fun along the way, and always have a lens of hope and optimism that the future’s going to be brighter. If you do that, anything in your life is possible.”