CARLTON fans were left disappointed after a 58-point defeat saw North Melbourne finish with the four points at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.  

Skipper Patrick Cripps echoed the frustrations of fans, but stressed Sunday’s performance was the exception and not the rule.

“In terms of building an identity and a brand of footy, the first six rounds I feel like the public would have seen a really strong Carlton outfit that were competitive,” Cripps said.

“We’re a proud group and I suppose we let our guard down a bit yesterday, the fans have every right to be disappointed.”

The Blues have shown marked improvement so far this season, having maintained a fierce competitiveness up until their meeting with North Melbourne.

The captain chalked the disappointing performance against the Kangaroos down to the mental preparation of the playing group.

“AFL is a mental game and it just shows that when you’re slighting off mentally like we were in the first quarter, I suppose you get hit between the eyes,” he said.

“It comes back to individuals – the best players and the best teams, they learn what it takes to get themselves up and ready each week.”

The young captain has arguably taken his game to another level this year, averaging 30 disposals and over seven tackles over the opening rounds. 

However, even the ever-reliable Cripps had a slow start to the weekend, feeling the full force of the experienced North Melbourne taggers.

“I was flat in my first quarter, I felt like they got on top inside with Ziebell and Cunnington,” he said.

“I was able to respond after quarter time, but the damage had probably been done.”

The Blues get the chance to respond against traditional rivals when they face Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday.

“It’s a big club that is going really well, so it’s a good chance for us to get out there and play a physical brand,” he said of the match-up.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat yesterday’s performance, it wasn’t acceptable. I can guarantee we’ll respond on Saturday.”