ACTING Carlton captain Patrick Cripps says his teammates delivered on their promises against Geelong on Saturday night, following a searching week at Ikon Park.
Facing a more experienced Geelong outfit on unfamiliar territory at GMHBA Stadium, the Blues got within eight points of the Cats at the 12-minute mark of the final term, but ultimately fell by 28 despite having more scoring shots (20-18) and inside 50s (51-47).
While frustrated to not claim the four points, Cripps said the players showed character to take charge and bounce back after their 109-point loss to Melbourne six days prior.
“It (loss to Melbourne) was a really disappointing game for the club. There were some hard truths in the meeting,” Cripps told Channel 7’s Game Day.
“The players owned the whole week and he (coach Brendon Bolton) gave that ownership over to us. Us leaders held most of the meetings and chose the mindset we wanted to go in with against the Cats.
“It was disappointing we didn’t win, but I thought the effort and endeavour was there last night.”
The Blues’ resolve was tested early, conceding the first four goals within the opening 10 minutes.
Determined to not let the events of the Melbourne clash re-occur, their response was swift, keeping the Cats goalless for the next 43 minutes while registering two majors of their own.
“In the good sides, players can manage momentum throughout the game. That (loss to Melbourne) was a good learning curve for the group,” Cripps said.
“Last night we were down by four goals early, but we were able to wrestle back momentum and win the contest for most of the night. It was a step in the right direction.”
Fielding nine players below 22 (four more than Geelong), it was Carlton’s leaders sans injured trio Marc Murphy, Sam Docherty and Alex Silvagni who steered the ship back on track.
Elevated to Carlton’s leadership group in January, Lachie Plowman was a commanding presence in defence, recording game-highs for intercept possessions (13) and one-percenters (15).
In game No.296, Kade Simpson was the architect, totalling a match-high 675m gained from his 33 possessions, while Matthew Kreuzer monstered the Cats in the ruck duels.
Despite suffering a corked quad, Cripps toiled away to reach 20 contested possessions for the 11th time in his career.
Partner-in-crime Ed Curnow was huge in his return from suspension, equalling Cripps for clearances (eight) to help a young Carlton midfield holds its own against a Geelong engine room boasting superstars Patrick Dangerfield, Gary Ablett and Joel Selwood.
“Ed Curnow’s had a serious year,” Cripps said.
“He’s a big-bodied mid and he’s played more on the wing the last few years, but more on the inside this year.
“In terms of the bigger body, he’s helping me in there and guys like Paddy Dow, ‘Zaccy’ Fisher and ‘Samo Seton’ (Sam Petrevski-Seton), who are getting a taste of midfield time and that will only fast-track them.”
The Blues now have a six-day break before facing Sydney at the SCG on Friday night, with Cripps allaying any fears about his availability.
“It was just a corkie late in the game – that was it.”
