CARLTON captain Patrick Cripps has made history, becoming just the second Blues player ever to claim a fifth John Nicholls Medal as the club's best and fairest on Sunday night.
The award, which followed a second Brownlow Medal and a fourth All-Australian blazer earlier this season, saw Cripps join the award's namesake in Nicholls as the only Carlton players to ever be named club champion five times.
Cripps polled a whopping 204 votes to clearly be recognised as the Blues' best from 2024, with defender Nic Newman (148) and midfielder Sam Walsh (147) some distance behind their skipper inside the top three.
The courageous midfielder had previously won the award in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2022 to join Nicholls and Bruce Doull as the only four-time winners, with his most recent accolade taking him alongside Nicholls in Carlton folklore.
Having already become the first Blues player to ever win two Brownlow Medals while representing the club earlier this season, Cripps' best and fairest was just reward following a season where he averaged 28.8 disposals and eight clearances.
"A true reflection of a leader is not just about the way he carries himself, but the way he elevates those around him. That tells you everything you need to know about our captain and how much he cares for this football club," Blues coach Michael Voss said.
"Five John Nicholls medals, the equal most alongside any player to have worn the Navy Blue, is an incredible honour and Patrick is well and truly deserving of his place in our club’s storied history.
"We speak often as a club around understanding our purpose and Patrick sets that example daily with his mindset. He embraces the responsibility that comes with his role, to inspire those around him and instil pride in our monogram.
"He personifies all the qualities you could ask for in a Carlton person and we know Patrick, along with every one of us, is keen to ensure we carve our collective mark on this football club that will instil a sense of pride in our people."
Cripps had already enjoyed a memorable night prior to being crowned the John Nicholls Medal winner, taking out the Best Finals Player Award, the Players' Award, the Carltonians William A. Cook Award and the Bill Lanyon Inner Blue Ruthless Award.
Matt Kennedy won Best Clubman, Elijah Hollands took out the Best Young Player Award, George Hewett claimed the Coaches Award, Tom De Koning won the Spirit of Carlton Award, while Newman won the Interstate Coterie Award.
Newman was also recognised with his second successive second-place finish, while Walsh was on the podium for the fourth time in five seasons. Jacob Weitering (144) and Hewett (141) rounded out the top five.
The John Nicholls Medal is voted on by senior coach Voss and three assistants giving each player up to four votes at the end of every round, meaning a maximum of 16 votes is awarded to any single player per round.
2024 John Nicholls Medal top 10
1. Patrick Cripps - 204 votes
2. Nic Newman - 148
3. Sam Walsh - 147
4. Jacob Weitering - 144
5. George Hewett - 141
6. Blake Acres - 122
7. Tom De Koning - 121
8. Harry McKay - 117
9. Charlie Curnow - 116
10. Matt Kennedy - 110
