CARLTON skipper Patrick Cripps didn’t think he could ever be so happy after a loss, but last Sunday provided him with a unique experience, urging on an opposition team to win to seal the Blues’ finals position.
Heading back to IKON Park following their loss to St Kilda, Cripps, his teammates and their families anxiously awaited the clash in Perth.
The rest - as they say - is history, and the All-Australian vice-captain couldn’t be more thrilled that his side gets a chance to prove themselves in the 2024 finals series.
“It was a terrible three hours – I absolutely hated every minute of it,” Cripps said on FOX Footy.
“There’s something about when you’re playing, you’ve got some sort of control, but when that gets taken out of your hands and the way it did, it felt like deja vu of 2022.
“Then we carried on like we won — I’ve never been more happy after a loss than Monday morning. It was a crazy five or six hours.
“The best thing is if we did win, we’d be in the exact same position, so hopefully we carry that momentum through.”
Heading into the last interstate trip against West Coast, Cripps didn’t adjust his attitude, wanting to embrace the challenge and not let fear dictate his performance.
Not expending energy thinking negatively, the 29-year-old wanted to lead by example and ensure his young side was all on the same page.
“I go out there and say if I’m going to fail, I’d rather fail having a crack,” he said.
"One thing is in games that really start to matter later in the year, fear can creep into guys' minds. I didn't treat it too differently, I love those challenges.
“I really try and give as much effort, I know we had a young team in that week so I was trying to give those younger boys a lot of confidence and clarity in their roles."
At the end of the trip, Cripps was reminded of why he loves captaining the Blues so much, seeing the reward for the younger crop of players and fighting together to get a good win.
“As a leader, you want to go out and set an example – I tried to do that, that was one of my most enjoyable wins as a player and as a captain,” he said.
“To see some of the young fellas smile after the game, carry on a bit, and taste what AFL footy is like is rewarding. It’s rewarding when you’ve been captain of the Club for a little bit.”
Wanting to carry that winning momentum and mindset into their first finals game against the Lions, the captain will be pushing his teammates to the limit when they again travel interstate into enemy territory.
