The Evolution of Patrick Cripps and His Role at Carlton
In 2021, Patrick Cripps had the opportunity to move to West Coast or Fremantle as a free agent and return to his home state. However, he chose to stay with Carlton, signing a significant six-year contract that solidified his position as a key figure in the club’s history. This decision made him an adored presence among the club’s passionate fanbase.
From an individual performance perspective, Cripps made the right choice. He won Brownlow medals in 2022 and 2024, and it’s likely that his time at Carlton has provided him with greater financial opportunities through the club’s strong business connections. However, as the Blues find themselves in the bottom four and struggle to maintain leads in the second halves of games, the relationship between Cripps and the club is no longer mutually beneficial as it once was.
Once, Cripps was seen as Carlton’s Atlas, carrying an immense burden for the team. He was their beacon of hope. Now, with his performance declining and the game shifting towards players who are quicker and more skilled in disposal and decision-making, the dynamic between Cripps and the Blues resembles that of two prisoners handcuffed together. He is not just bound to Carlton, but they are also tied to him.
The 2026 version of Cripps has limited appeal in the market, even if either party were to consider a change. Fremantle would have difficulty finding a spot for him, while West Coast might only be interested in him for leadership and guidance, if at all. Would another club want him? Only if they had a fleet of fast players, and at 31, he is less attractive than he was at 28.
The Midfield Dilemma
Matt Kennedy’s trade to the Bulldogs by the Blues was necessary, despite some fan complaints. Carlton had an excess of midfielders who lacked speed, including George Hewett, Adam Cerra, and notably Cripps. While Sam Walsh can provide outside run, he isn’t Kozzie Pickett.
Close observers of the Blues have long noticed that their midfield was unbalanced, even during Cripps’ Brownlow seasons. Ideally, the skipper should have been surrounded by players like Pickett or Errol Gulden, plus someone with serious acceleration. Cripps has been the best extractor of the football since Sam Mitchell’s retirement, though his hand skills never matched those of Hawthorn coach Josh Kennedy.
Clubs today are less inclined to invest in pure extractors. They prefer players who can run quickly and consistently, as well as kick and be deployed at half-back or forward. Cripps, for all his efforts in the trenches, is not suited for stints at half-back or as a reliable forward target. He is a ball-winning midfielder, and that is about it.
The Coaching Challenges
Michael Voss and his coaching staff cannot drop their skipper, which has led to Hewett being sent to the VFL despite winning the John Nicholls medal in 2025. Cripps had one of his least effective games as captain on Saturday night, winning just 14 disposals and five contested balls. He appeared in 24 centre bounces, yet won only two clearances.
During the third quarter, when the Blues were overwhelmed by St Kilda, the skipper was in the square at bounces eight times. Carlton’s inability to stop or reverse the opposition’s momentum will eventually cost Voss his job. The coach, despite his flaws, is stuck with a team lacking leaders who can apply a hand break when the game is slipping away.
Cripps, unlike Scott Pendlebury, Luke Hodge, or Shaun Burgoyne in Hawthorn’s era, cannot sit back behind the ball, calmly chip it to a teammate, and guide younger players when things go wrong. He lacks that downshifting gear and vision.
A Future for Cripps and Carlton
Given that Carlton and Cripps are likely to remain together for the duration of his natural football life—though he could move after just one preliminary final in 13 seasons—the Blues should at least remove the burden of the captaincy from their dual Brownlow medallist for 2027.
Cripps has failed to change the trajectory of his club’s second halves. This is a shared responsibility, not entirely his fault. Had he been surrounded by a different support cast, his strengths would complement the team rather than compound its weaknesses.
He is a player who has extracted everything, in both senses. But the game has moved on, and the rudderless Blues must adapt accordingly.
