Carlton co-captain Patrick Cripps believes the Blues’ late-season resurgence under caretaker coach David Teague has boosted the AFL club’s chances of luring big-name free agents like GWS star Stephen Coniglio.
Cripps is an unabashed fan of what Teague has been able to do since taking over from Brendon Bolton, the Blues winning five of nine games under the interim coach.
The midfield bull will play his 100th AFL game this weekend – against St Kilda at the MCG on Saturday – and would be thrilled to play alongside Coniglio, who is believed to be weighing up a big money offer from Carlton, from next year.
“One of the reasons I really wanted to re-sign here was that when this thing turns it’s going to be really fun and pretty scary … I’ve felt that energy starting to turn over the past eight weeks,” Cripps said on Tuesday.
“Anyone would be rapt to have Stephen Coniglio come to your door. He’s a sensational player and if he did come I would be over the moon, but we’ll see how that all pans out.
“When you’re at a big club like Carlton once you do become attractive people do want to come and play for you, so that’s what I’m really excited about over the next couple of years.”
Cripps joked he had created a few media articles when he recently said that he was “onboard the Teague Train” referring to the groundswell of support for the caretaker coach to replace Bolton on a permanent basis.
But while he appears to genuinely hope that Teague gets the nod, Cripps says his support won’t be the deciding factor in the club’s search for a senior coach.
“I might have jumped on too early,” he quipped when asked about his Teague Train comment.
“But the board are doing such a thorough process that if Teaguey gets the job he’s done it in his own right and not just because the players really rate him … it will be because he’s actually a bloody good coach.
“I know that if they get someone else then he’s going to be a really good coach too.
“We’ll have to see how that pans out but what Teaguey has done so far has been really impressive.”
