COUNTRY boy Patrick Cripps didn’t expect himself to be accepting his second Brownlow Medal when he was growing up in Northampton on a farm. 

The self-proclaimed ‘chubby’ kid however was enamoured with the Brownlow, checking himself out of boarding school to watch the annual screening. 

Looking up to the likes of Chris Judd and Ben Cousins - previous Brownlow winners and stars of Cripps’ beloved Eagles at the time - Cripps was in awe of the superstars of the competition. 

Now, the 29-year-old finds himself in elite company, having been awarded his second Brownlow Medal, smashing the tally record in the process. 

When asked what he would say to his younger self, Cripps admitted he’d tell himself to have some self-belief. 

“I’d say ‘you’ll have some challenges, but if you work hard, you have fun with what you do and have an optimistic mindset, you can tackle any challenges that come your way’,” Cripps said. 

“It’s a great question, I realise the position [I’m in to inspire] now, it’s a full circle moment because when I’m around guys like ‘Juddy’ and Ben Cousins, I still feel like a little kid.”

Referencing his most consistent season to date, the midfielder had the aim to play every game this season, which he duly accomplished.

Working on his speed and power over the off-season, Cripps noted the need to keep up with the game not only physically, but mentally too. 

"I ended up polling in a lot of games which was nice. I felt like across the year, it was my most consistent year, so that was pleasing," he said.

"I feel like as you get older you might lose something from a body point of view, but you get wiser and more experienced.

"Parts of my game I want to improve, parts of my leadership and I’ll keep trying to evolve."

While individual success is something Cripps will hang his hat on, he is still hungry for the ultimate prize: a premiership cup with his club.

Watching on as other teams have reached the top, Cripps feels a sense of unfinished business, wanting to drive himself and his team to be better.

“It’s just what everyone dreams of. Last night was amazing and I loved it and it was great to share with my teammates, family and friends, but there’s just something about that last day in September,” he said. 

“If you see anyone's face when they win a Grand Final, it looks like the best thing they’ve ever done in their life and you share it with everyone at the Club, their families, the supporters, it would be amazing. 

“That‘s what drives me and I know it drives a lot of the boys as well.”