“WHEN you’ve got a person with that character, leadership and pride in his performance, we were really confident he’d come out and play well.”

For the last week, the noise coming out of IKON Park was that Patrick Cripps was being backed in for an emphatic return to form this weekend.

The co-captain repaid that faith.

Willing his side on in Carlton’s first win of the 2021 season, Cripps was at his bullocking best at the centre bounce in the 45-point triumph.

Part of a dominant on-ball brigade in Navy Blue, Cripps finished the game with 34 disposals, 11 clearances and two third-quarter goals.

Speaking to media post-match, Senior Coach David Teague said it was a performance of a true leader.

“He helped us set the game up to play the way we wanted,” Teague said.

“I thought Patrick was a good player for us today and played the way that we know he can. We never lost any belief in him.

“He wanted to play a big, stronger, powerful leader’s game and I thought he did that really well.”

As the Blues gained the ascendancy from the centre bounce, Cripps’ ability to have an impact up forward by kicking two quick-fire goals all but put the result beyond doubt.

It was a welcome return for Cripps on the scoreboard, with the co-captain coming into the season with a 7.11 record in front of goal in 2020.

Teague said it was a matter of Cripps knowing what he needed to take his game to another level, and - quite simply - acting on it.

“I think it’s a great message for any of our players that you’re always going to have growth areas in your game,” he said.

“Last year, that stood out for Patrick and he spent his summer - particularly early, when he couldn’t do a lot of the competitive drills - on his goal kicking. The amount of shots he’s had on goal, you get a lot of belief Fromm that.

“Until you do it out there, there’s always that doubt in the back of your mind. I thought the conviction he had when he took those shots [was evident].”

Cripps well and truly led from the front alongside fellow co-captain Sam Docherty, who had 28 disposals and 13 marks of his own in the convincing win.

Confirming that he had asked the question of his leaders during the week, Teague said it was the team’s experienced contingent which set the tone.

“They did [lead the way], but it wasn’t just those two,” he said.

“When I say leaders, I also mean Liam Jones, Ed Curnow who played a role for us, Jacob Weitering was strong.

“There were a couple of guys as well and I challenged them: there were probably about 10 of them.

“I said ‘you’re the guys that have to go out there and make it happen’, and they did. They made it happen.”