A really small variety of younger boys develop up and get to play footy on the highest stage.
For many of these males, it is a dream that is come true.
It takes distinctive expertise simply to get to the league — simply 0.2 per cent of teenage boys enjoying footy will make it to the AFL.
Even fewer are gifted and fortunate sufficient to be recognised by the umpires because the fairest and finest participant within the AFL.
Simply 90 males of the 13,172 gamers to don the boots in a recreation of league soccer have received footy’s highest particular person honour — round 0.7 per cent of all gamers ever.
Earlier than Monday evening, solely 16 gamers throughout the primary century of the Brownlow Medal had executed so greater than as soon as.
On Monday evening at 10:36pm, that unique membership grew by one member as Carlton’s Patrick Cripps turned the 2024 Brownlow Medallist.
The ABC’s political analyst Antony Inexperienced might need been tempted to name it somewhat earlier, given how dominant the Carlton captain’s efficiency was within the rely.
Cripps recorded a whopping 45 votes throughout the 2024 season.
That is a transparent report for all normal seasons — excluding the 2 the place vote tallies have been doubled in 1976 and 1977 because of the introduction of two umpires.
Between 1940 and 2010 no participant tallied greater than 30 votes in a single season and, though 20 gamers have since racked up greater than the 30 votes in a season, Monday’s was the primary occasion of a person incomes greater than 40.
Cripps’s 45 votes — coming from 17 completely different video games — was greater than three golf equipment obtained throughout the course of all the season.
The numbers of the evening are staggering, however extra fascinating is how he put such an incredible season collectively.
That is the story of Patrick Cripps’ record-breaking 12 months.
Dominating on area
Typically what separates the nice from the nice is not uncooked expertise, athleticism or talent; that’ll solely get you thru the entrance door of most golf equipment.
What makes a very good participant nice is as an alternative one thing far tougher to faucet into. It is drive — the ambition to repeatedly enhance and get higher.
“I needed to go to work on my recreation on the finish of final 12 months,” the now two-time medallist mentioned.
“I felt like there have been just a few areas I actually wanted to go to work on. I used to be shut out of the sport too many instances by opposition.”
Hailing from Northampton in WA’s Wheat Belt, Cripps noticed first hand the significance of onerous work.
Success typically is not constructed in a single day — as an alternative it takes time and dedication.
As Cripps said, over the 12 months he has slowly developed his recreation.
He is change into extra dynamic and proactive — scoring extra and tackling much less.
Relative to his first Brownlow 12 months he is not solely successful extra clearances but in addition successful extra territory together with his ball use.
The addition of companions in crime equivalent to Sam Walsh and the defensive George Hewett allowed him to shift his method somewhat.
“You’ll be able to then broaden sure elements of your recreation, and I really feel like I am attempting to develop my exterior recreation a bit extra, get on the tip of some extra handball receives, and use my energy greater than I did prior to now,” Cripps mentioned earlier this 12 months.
This difficult graft defines Cripps on a soccer area. No participant within the recreation was higher at successful the contested ball than Carlton’s talisman this 12 months.
Cripps led the AFL in clearances per recreation for the third time in his profession, and the primary time since 2019. He additionally ranked extremely for a way he influences his staff hitting the scoreboard even when he is not immediately kicking at aim.
Cripps excels at corralling hit-outs from his rucks, his Carlton teammates typically defend area round their captain and let him go to work.
The 29-year-old has the dimensions, power and pace to beat most opponents one on one, together with his big 195cm body constructed for exploiting even the smallest weaknesses in defenders.
Cripps additionally completed third for onerous ball will get throughout the 12 months: That is the place the ball is received underneath direct bodily stress.
He seemingly has a radar for anticipating when contact is about to return, and find out how to finest keep away from the complete brunt of it, deploying sufficient power to struggle his manner by means of most preliminary embraces to at the very least give his staff an opportunity at retaining possession.
One of many wrinkles that Cripps added to his recreation this 12 months was his means within the ruck itself.
He attended extra ruck contests than ever earlier than, ending within the high 20 for “seize and go” balls received immediately from a ruck contest. He is the one non-ruck (or typical tall) close to the highest finish of the stat — a testomony to his malleability on the sphere.
That is the type of in-and-under, eye-catching work that the umpires appear more and more keen to reward.
There’s different elements of his recreation that additionally improved this 12 months. Cripps managed 17 objectives on the season — simply wanting his private report of 20 from 2022, regardless of spending much less time up ahead, recording the fewest quantity photographs on aim and marks inside 50 than lately.
As a substitute, his accuracy when taking pictures for aim was considerably up on earlier years. Cripps additionally managed to achieve extra territory together with his disposals than ever earlier than whereas turning it over lower than in his different Brownlow 12 months of 2022.
This 12 months was not only a continuation of Cripps’s glorious profession thus far, however an enchancment on seasons’ previous.
On the lookout for extra
After such a report setting season, many are already tipping Cripps so as to add a 3rd Brownlow round his neck sooner or later.
At 29 years previous the West Australian has lots extra time to shine.
However regardless of the person acclaim, Cripps hinted through the 12 months that his most essential footballing problem can be to steer Carlton to the promised land of a premiership.
“Positively enjoying within the finals collection final 12 months was the very best,” Cripps informed the media earlier this 12 months.
“Particular person stuff is a reward for onerous work, however I believe for those who discuss to any AFL participant, the reward and fulfilment come from staff success.”
This marketing campaign the Blues fell two weeks wanting their stellar 2023 season. It was a major step again from the place they wished to be this 12 months.
His hometown aspect, Northampton Rams, tasted that premiership success for the primary time in virtually 20 years final season, led by former AFL stars Josh Kennedy and Harry Taylor.
Additionally in that Northampton aspect was Cripps’s brother, Josh.
That success is the place Cripps desperately needs the Blues to be.
Given his unbelievable season in 2024, it is clear that Cripps will hold working and pushing till they attain that mark.