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Skipper Carlton Patrick Cripps says his team must earn respect for the competition after only one rival captain chose the Blues to advance to the final in 2021.
Following the club Zac Williams’ big price signings and Adam Saad, Carlton was the overwhelming favorite to climb the ranks and knock on the door of the top eight.
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Carlton hasn’t made the final since 2013, a year he finished ninth, but made an eight due to Essendon being kicked out of the final after the supplements scandal.
While the snub of the final in the annual AFL captains survey will certainly serve as motivation, Cripps said it was no surprise that his team were not being highly rated by rival leaders. .
“It’s one of those things, you have to earn the respect of the other clubs. They don’t give you the final games,” he told AFL.com.au.
“We think we’ve had a really good preseason and are ready for a great year, but at the end of the day we have to get out there and build momentum and try to gain the respect of them. other clubs by playing our way. “
Cripps, who is without a contract at the end of the year, has been linked with a return to Western Australia but said he is convinced that an extension with Carlton will be signed.
Despite being one of the best midfielders in the game, the 25-year-old has said he won’t ask for money that works at the expense of the flexibility of the club’s cap going forward.
“You want the best for the club, so it’s a question of how we are going to position ourselves to be a good club, and a great club, for a long period of time,” he said. he told the Herald. Sun.
“To do everything, there is no rush. It (the contract extension) will happen, it’s just a matter of making sure we have all the details (sorted out).”
Cripps and the Blues will open their season with the traditional MCG blockbuster against Richmond on March 18.
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