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http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/te...f2f95cd17c
Field Marshal: Carlton midfield prodigy Patrick Cripps is shattering the record books
SAM EDMUND, Herald Sun
August 2, 2016 8:00pm
PATRICK Cripps has always done things ahead of time.
Growing up on the family farm in Northampton, 500km north of Perth, Cripps was riding a motorbike when he was three and a half and driving by five.
Things are no different at football’s highest level, where Carlton’s midfield prodigy is shattering the record books when it comes to inside, ball-winning grunt.
Cripps’ stoppage prowess is no secret, but it’s the sheer volume of coalface extractions that demands further recognition.
Cripps became the fastest player to 250 clearances when he played his 38th game, in Round 17 against West Coast. Behind him are players like Hawthorn champion Sam Mitchell, Sydney’s Josh Kennedy and dual Brownlow medallist Chris Judd.
At the same stage of their careers — 40 games — Cripps has outperformed Mitchell, Kennedy and West Coast’s Matt Priddis in disposal, contested possession, clearance and centre clearance averages per game.
Mitchell, Kennedy, Priddis — if that’s AFL ball-winning royalty, Cripps, at 21, is the prince.
Last year the country kid taken with pick No. 13 in the 2013 national draft became the youngest player to win the Blues’ best-and-fairest since John Nicholls, after whom the award is now named. This year he has gone to another level.
In his third AFL season, Cripps leads the competition in clearances (8.6 per game), pre-clearance disposals (12.6), is second in centre clearances (3.5) and ranks fourth in contested ball (16.1).
A whopping 48 per cent of his possessions are won pre-clearance — an extraordinary ratio and the highest percentage of any player.
If you’re being super picky, Cripps’ next challenge is to improve his speed and movement to more often become a factor when the ball leaves the stoppage. But when he and the ball are in the contest, he gets there first more often than not.
In Saturday’s narrow loss to Hawthorn in Launceston, Cripps had a game-high 11 clearances — half as many as the entire Hawthorn side. He also had a game-high 18 contested possessions and equal game-high 11 score involvements.
“It was a sound game,” a typically understated Carlton coach Brendon Bolton said afterwards.
“He was good in and around congestion. I would have thought his contested count and clearance count were really strong.”
Cripps is a phenomenon. As a 195cm midfielder, he is taller than North Melbourne great Wayne Carey and current stars Nick Riewoldt and Matthew Pavlich.
And when it comes to the fundamental art of winning the ball, he might just stand above everyone.
Fastest players to 250 clearances:
38 games Patrick Cripps (Carl)
44 games Tom Liberatore (WB)
44 games Sam Mitchell (Haw)
49 games Anthony Miles (Rich)
52 games Josh P. Kennedy (Syd)
CRIPPS THIS YEAR
Contested possessions 16.1 (4th)
Clearances 8.6 (1st)
Centre clearances 3.5 (2nd)
Pre-clearance disposals 12.6 (1st)
* All Averages
Source: CHAMPION DATA
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