Carlton couldn’t put Patrick Cripps in cotton wool if they wanted too.
The young superstar-in-the-making was clearly banged up heading into the Blues’ bye, recording a season-low 17 possessions in a loss to Sydney while sporting bandages on a knee and thigh.
The 23-year-old has played a lone hand at stoppages for much of this season without departed star Bryce Gibbs and oft-injured skipper Marc Murphy.
But coach Brendon Bolton plans to wind up his contested-ball beast and set him loose again on Saturday against Fremantle at Etihad Stadium.
“I don’t know how you nurse anyone in AFL footy, to be frank … once you’re on the oval, it’s game on and Crippa loves it,” Bolton said.
“I think it would be really difficult to manage Patrick Cripps on game day … what are you going to tell him to do? Keep away from contact?
“It’s an impossibility … he’ll play like that for the rest of his career … in terms of the way he plays, it’s really difficult to change … how do you change the way Joel Selwood plays or Luke Hodge?”
Cripps will need to have a big performance if the last-placed Blues are to record their second win of the season.
The Dockers are riding high from an upset three-point win over Adelaide and regain stars Nat Fyfe, Aaron Sandilands and Stephen Hill.
But they lost key defender Alex Pearce to a broken thumb and were unable to call up Michael Johnson to cover after he copped a ban in the WAFL.
It leaves Ross Lyon’s side under-sized in defence, which the Blues will try to exploit with the addition of Levi Casboult.
The club’s leading goalkicker of last season hasn’t played since round seven when he suffered broken ribs in a loss to Adelaide.
He will play alongside exciting young tall forwards Charlie Curnow and Pat Kerr in the same attack for the first time.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Levi, Charlie and Paddy Kerr in the same team … three guys that can all catch the ball and lead up aggressively,” Bolton said.
“Their patterns are an example of what we need to turn into (good) habits and that comes with time and working together.”
