PATRICK Cripps: Carlton captain, Brownlow medallist and a model for gratitude, empathy and mindfulness.
Hugh van Cuylenburg helped Cripps take his game to another level in 2022 as the Carlton superstar won the Brownlow Medal.
Cripps' immense campaign saw him become the first Blue to win the famous individual honour since Chris Judd in 2010. The 27-year-old averaged 28.1 disposals, 7.8 clearances and five tackles in 2022 as the Blues fell agonisingly short of making the finals.
Van Cuylenburg, the founder of The Resilience Project, was enlisted to help Carlton this year.
Cripps had seen Van Cuylenburg speak before the latter joined the Blues, buying copies of his book for each of his teammates.
"Brad Lloyd, the head of footy, said to me, 'I'm so happy you're working here because I can't wait to get rid of these bloody books in my office'. He had all the books in his office," Van Cuylenburg told The Inside Game last month.
"When Patrick Cripps buys into something, the rest of the playing group are going to do it so he was right into my stuff before I got there.
"Both our partners share something in common with their mental health stuff that they're going through. We'd actually been in touch a fair bit before I started working at the club, but to have him walking around and modelling the importance of gratitude and empathy and mindfulness.
"When I went and did my first talk he was front and centre and he got up and spoke really well after it and summarised what I talked about.
"He's in such a great place emotionally and mentally at the moment."
Van Cuylenburg played down his role in Cripps' stunning 2022 campaign, during which the midfielder almost dragged the Blues into the finals.
He said Michael Voss, who was in his first season as Carlton coach, and his assistants deserved the credit.
"I don't put that down to me, I put that down to how he feels having someone like Michael Voss and someone like Tim Clarke, who's the midfield coach, and some of the personalities around the place, like a Luke Power and those people," Van Cuylenburg said.
"I think a lot of the burden has come off him, (like) 'What direction are we taking this club in?'. The coaches have said, 'I've got that, go out and play footy, do what you love' and he's done that."
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