CARLTON skipper Patrick Cripps will return to Ikon Park refreshed and ready for pre-season.

The star midfielder is eager to get back in the thick of it ahead of season 2020 after getting away at the close of the home-and-away season.

Cripps reflected on his time off when speaking to the team at SEN Breakfast on Thursday morning.

“We got away: we went to Greece for a few weeks, went to Italy for a few days and came back,” Cripps said.

“It was good to get away out of the footy bubble and get some sun. It is good to be back for the finals: I’m going to both games on the weekend. I’ll be watching as a fan.”

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After a career-best season which could yet yield more success on Brownlow night, the midfield bull is relishing in the time off ahead of what he hopes will be a big 2020 at Ikon Park.

Already looking to immerse himself in preparations for next year, Cripps credits his time off for his fresh approach to football.

“I’ve got to get away. I find it hard to switch off: footy is pretty flat out in Melbourne,” he said.

“I feel like if you have a good 3-4 week patch – which I already have – it really freshens you up.

“Then you get that motivation to get back training and you slowly build it up. To watch the finals will be exciting, but after the Grand Final I’ll probably get away again and switch off.”

The Blues will return in November for what will be their first pre-season under recently appointed senior coach David Teague.

Looking ahead to the return to training, Cripps is anticipating more of the same when it came to Teague’s approach heading into 2020.

“He made a few tweaks in the back half of the year. The best thing about ‘Teaguey’ is that he keeps things really simple – he’ll definitely change a few things, but I don’t think he’ll overcomplicate it,” he said.

“I think the boys really responded well to keeping it simple and having as much fun as we could. I think that will be the key messaging going forward.”