Cripps signs new two-year contract
PATRICK Cripps has given cellar-dweller Carlton a huge boost by signing a two-year contract extension, tying him to the Blues until at least the end of the 2021 season.
The 23-year-old vice-captain has been a rare shining light in an otherwise dismal season for the Blues, who have won only one match.
Cripps’ previous deal was due to run out at the end of the 2019 campaign. With fellow young gun Charlie Curnow also agreeing to a new long-term deal earlier in the year, the Blues have now locked away their two biggest guns.
“This club is a second home to me and the friends I’ve made at Carlton are like family, so I never had any intention to leave,” Cripps said in a statement.
“The support the club has given me since I arrived has been exceptional and I want to repay the belief they’ve shown in me over the past five years. We’ve got a great group of coaches at the Blues and I know my game will continue to improve under [coach] Brendon Bolton.
“He’s had a huge, positive impact on my career as well as my teammates. You play football to achieve team success and, as a group, we’re committed to putting in the hard work to get the results. In spite of some challenging realities on-field this season, we’re a very tight-knit group and I’ve never been more determined to help this side achieve the ultimate success soon.”
Cripps leads the league in contested possessions this year and is an odds-on favourite to win his second Carlton best-and-fairest award.