WHEN THE Carlton Football Club’s greatest-ever captain speaks, people listen. 

There was arguably no more appropriate person to address the Blues’ newest players at the Club’s 2022 AFL induction than Stephen Kernahan. 

The game’s longest-serving captain and skipper of Carlton’s Team of the Century, Kernahan joined Patrick Cripps, Sam Docherty and Michael Voss on a night where Carlton’s recruits - both on and off the field - were officially welcomed to the football club.

And it wasn’t just those in the room who were hanging onto every word. When posted on social media on Wednesday night, Carlton fans, Hall of Fame Anthony Koutoufides and former Brisbane champion Jonathan Brown all reacted in kind to the speech from ‘Sticks’.

“This is your home and this is your family now,” Kernahan said.

“What I will say is have a great time while you’re here, too. Train your arse off, be with your mates all the time and enjoy it as well.

“Even if you lose, you’re still in a group that’s trying to plan for something. Keep the big picture at the end of it.

“It might take some time, and we don’t need to be talking about finals or anything. We need to find some respect, work hard together, play hard together and listen to what [Michael Voss] says.

“That’s what these clubs are about: the hardcore blokes that are still here. Keep watching those blokes. I know on the field whenever I see Ed Curnow, I don’t need to worry about how hard he’s going. 

“That’s a really nice thing, and that’s what you should be emulating. Train your arse off, earn your keep, get a spot, get behind the coaches. You’re a team within a team. 

“‘Crippa’, ‘Walshy’, ‘Weiters’, whoever the leaders are, ‘Doc’. You keep that group together. No splintering. One way.”

For Kernahan’s full comments, watch the video above. And stay tuned to the Carlton website, with more insight and content from the induction to come!