“THE excuse of being young isn’t really there anymore.”

Co-captain Patrick Cripps says it’s time for action at Ikon Park.

On the back of what he believes has been a fruitful pre-season, Cripps said it was time for his ‘young’ teammates to deliver on the field.

Citing the increase in training level and competition for spots, Cripps believed the results from the track had to start showing in games.

Speaking on SEN, the three-time John Nicholls Medallist was full of faith that his fellow Blues would make big strides in 2020.

“With the list now, some of these young guys are getting to 21 and 23 [years old]… that’s usually when careers start to take off,” Cripps said.

“The excuse of being young isn’t really there anymore.

“The best thing about it now is there’s a lot of talent there.

“You never know how quickly it’s going to jell but it’s an exciting prospect for us.”

Cripps was one of a number of senior Blues missing from Saturday’s game in Mandurah, but he’s expected to lead from the front against Brisbane at Ikon Park this weekend.

Despite the result against Fremantle, Cripps is remaining optimistic and realistic about the long season ahead.

“I’m really confident in the team,” he said.

“We’ll be better for the longer we’ve been together. We’re under no illusions that it takes a lot of hard work to get there.

“We play Brisbane this Sunday and then we’re all guns blazing for Richmond in Round 1. It’s not too far away now.”