He’s a premiership hero and part of the AFL’s best midfield unit, but West Coast’s Dom Sheed still gets a weekly reminder that he’s no Patrick Cripps.
Sheed etched his name into AFL folklore when he kicked the winning goal from the pocket in the 2018 grand final against Collingwood.
The 25-year-old has put together a fine career since being taken with pick No.11 in the 2013 national draft, averaging 21 disposals and 3.6 clearances across his 111 games.
The only problem is the bloke who got picked two spots lower than Sheed has turned into an out-and-out superstar.
Carlton snapped up Cripps with pick No.13 and the West Australian hasn’t let them down, averaging 25.9 disposals and 7.4 clearances across his 110-game career.
Cripps came equal third in last year’s Brownlow medal tally, is a two-time All-Australian and a three-time Carlton best-and-fairest winner.
Sheed and Cripps will come up against each other at Optus Stadium on Sunday.
And if Cripps has another monster game, Sheed’s friends will let him know all about it.
“I’ve got one of my mates who sends me Crippa’s stats every weekend, saying West Coast could have had him,” Sheed said.
“It’s all for a bit of a laugh. I definitely don’t think there’s a point to prove at all.
“He (Cripps) is a beast around the ball, everyone knows that. No doubt we’ve got a tough challenge ahead.”
Cripps received seven free kicks in his team’s 31-point loss to Hawthorn last round.
It came a week after Cripps failed to receive adequate protection from the umpire despite being clearly held off the ball numerous times in a win over North Melbourne.
West Coast have become outright premiership favourites on the back of their five-match winning run, with the form of ruckman Nic Naitanui setting tongues wagging.
The Eagles’ blue-chip midfield has made the most of Naitanui’s silver-spoon service and Sheed said he’s never seen the big man in better form.
“He had an All-Australian year in 2012, I never got to see him do that,” Sheed said.
“But he is playing the best footy I’ve seen since I’ve been at the club, definitely.
“Sitting under his taps each time – we are very lucky as a midfield group to be able to do that.”
Star West Coast defender Jeremy McGovern is still nursing a broken right thumb and faces a race against time to prove his fitness for Sunday.