Patrick Cripps Opens Up on Career Low Point and Remarkable Turnaround
Carlton captain Patrick Cripps has candidly shared the lowest point of his illustrious career and the transformative journey that followed. Cripps, destined for greatness from an early stage, experienced a brilliant start to his professional life, becoming the second-youngest best and fairest winner in Carlton's storied history.
He rapidly ascended through the ranks to establish himself as one of the premier midfielders in the AFL, capturing the AFLPA MVP award in 2019 and earning the co-captaincy of the Carlton Football Club. However, this upward trajectory was not without its significant challenges.
The Hardest Years of His Life
"2020 and 2021 were the hardest years of my life, primarily from a performance perspective," Cripps revealed in an interview with Hamish McLachlan on the Unfiltered program. "Looking back, my biggest growth actually came from those difficult periods as well."
Cripps found these years particularly tough from a team standpoint, as Carlton struggled to achieve the desired outcomes, leading to a comprehensive club review. "My first six years followed a pretty consistent upward trend individually, where I was always improving and levelling up," he explained. "Then I had two relatively quieter seasons, and that was probably the first time as a player that I started losing a bit of confidence."
An Intense Three-Month Transformation Plan
After two lean years by his exceptionally high standards, Cripps committed to an intense personal overhaul. He devised a rigorous three-month plan focused on dramatically improving his fitness and overall performance.
"I remember at the end of 2021, that was the year I really went to work on all the aspects I had been practicing," Cripps said. "I had an off-season where I pushed myself to get as fit as humanly possible."
He sat down with high-performance manager Andrew Russell to map out a detailed three-month plan upon returning to Perth. "Every single day for three months, I knew exactly what I was doing, down to what I ate," Cripps recalled. "I was so locked in, almost obsessed at the time, but I knew I had to bounce back and I was confident I could."
The Payoff and Brownlow Medal Success
The relentless hard work during that critical off-season paid extraordinary dividends. Cripps experienced a remarkable resurgence, describing a pivotal moment during a practice match at Carlton.
"I hadn't felt that way for two years, and I just knew I was going to go on a run of good form," he said. "It was this indescribable confidence that returned." This resurgence culminated in Cripps taking his game to an elite level, ultimately winning the prestigious 2022 Brownlow Medal in a spectacular individual season.
Team Success and Future Outlook
While Cripps has accumulated numerous individual accolades, team success has remained more elusive. The Blues reached a preliminary final in 2023 and returned to the finals the following season, marking the only finals series Cripps has participated in throughout his glittering career.
"I look back on every challenge I've faced, and people often mention the lean years at Carlton," Cripps reflected. "Would I change it? I wouldn't, because I've learned so much from those experiences. The power of building something from the ground up is incredibly rewarding for me."
He described last year as particularly challenging mentally for both himself and the team, noting that while there's always been an upward trend, there are inevitable blips along the way. "Now I'm at a stage where there's genuine excitement about bringing new people in," Cripps said. "There's still considerable stability from our senior players, so it's a bit of an unknown, but I believe there's substantial growth potential. We can maintain that upward trajectory, and that's what really excites me as both a leader and a player."
