Brownlow winner Patrick Cripps reveals how a teammate’s mum ‘saved my night’ by keeping him sober

Carlton captain Patrick Cripps won the 2022 Brownlow Medal on Sunday night – and he credits a teammate’s mother with keeping him sober enough to be on his game as he accepted the award.

Cripps arrived at the awards ceremony severely jet-lagged after driving home from a holiday in the Greek islands and began having a few drinks in the early evening.

‘It was an interesting one, I thought I was a lock for a three in round 1 but I only got one…so I started having a few [beers],’ Cripps explained to Xav, Michelle and Baz at breakfast Triple M.

‘I always knew I had a chance with about five laps to go if I was close.

“I was close and Harry McKay’s mum was next to me so she started filling up my water glass so I got a couple of them so she probably saved my night.”

The 27-year-old became Carlton’s sixth Brownlow medalist in history, joining Bert Deacon (1947), John James (1961), Gordon Collis (1964), Greg Williams (1994) and Chris Judd (2010).

Cripps appeared a little worse for wear during a TV interview on Monday morning with Karl Stefanovic, who had a cheeky dig at the AFL star about his bashful appearance.

“My eyes, once I have two beers, I’m done,” Cripps said. “You can probably tell I definitely left my eyes at the counter last night.”

In the whirlwind since his name was read out, Cripps said he had been inundated with text messages as well as celebratory videos from his brother and friends from his small hometown of Northampton, 500km north of Perth.

He said Brisbane gun Lachie Neale, who he got by one vote after polling three in the last round, was one of the first to reach out.

There were no hard feelings despite Cripps being eligible after successfully appealing a two-match ban.

“He said ‘welcome to the club’,” Cripps said of Neale, who won the 2020 count.

‘I was hoping for a draw to be honest – I’m good friends with Lachie so that would have been great.

‘But he said he was happy for me and said he’d come and give me a big hug – he’s a ripper.’

Others in the ‘club’ to reach include former Blues captain Chris Judd, who was the last Carlton player to win the award back in 2010, while he also won it in 2004 when he played for West Coast.

Cripps had also received a message from fellow Eagles superstar Ben Cousins, who won it in 2005 – although Cripps said he had not had time to read their messages.

“I was an Eagles fan growing up in an era when they were really successful,” the 27-year-old said.

‘I chat to them a bit – saw Benny at last year’s Brownlow and I’ve always had a close relationship with Juddy so it’s great to have their support.’

‘I still see myself as a young kid, a foot lover, and you get moments like this, it doesn’t really sink in.

‘You get young kids at Carlton training who look up to you and that’s pretty special – I was one of them.’