"LET'S be bold, be aggressive in everything we do as a club. Let’s move forward with joy, with optimism and together. One club, loving the game, playing and supporting with an incredible energy that is unique to Carlton."

A flag in the ground.

At the 2025 John Nicholls Medal count, five-time winner Patrick Cripps used the chance of his captain's address to learn the lessons of how the season transpired and to move forward as a football club - together.

With a message for the team's emerging youngsters, 100,000 members and a great mate, Cripps used the analogy of 'bouncing forward' in the 10-minute speech where he highlighted his love for the game and representing the Navy Blue jumper.

Watch below or read the full transcript.

The best and fairest is always a great night to come together and celebrate the year for what it was. A night to highlight many people at the Club that have shown excellence and have shown elite commitment to their craft, their teammates and also the Club. It’s also a night to say thank you to many people who have helped the Club throughout the year, but also those who are moving on to other parts of their life.

Before I thank a few individuals, I just want to say - on behalf of all the players - a big thank you to all the people in the football department. To ‘Vossy’, the coaches, high performance, medical, wellbeing, ops and all the crew upstairs, football clubs are special places. And as athletes, we are very lucky to have many high-quality people that not only want the best for us as players but also as people, and that includes our families. Thank you.

A few thank yous to some staff to show my gratitude and appreciation. Firstly to ‘Cooky’, thanks for your leadership over the last four years. Although we haven’t had a lot to do with footy stuff, your guidance, leadership and calmness has reflected across the Club. Thanks for all your help, I appreciate it mate.

To Tarah our Club psych, I think I speak for all the boys when I say she’s not only a great person who cares about all of us, but she’s also someone that helped us from a mental side of the game but also a sounding board - for not only us, but our families. She was there through a really tough time during Covid and someone I respect really highly. Tarah, from all the players, thank you so much.

To Lukey Power, he’s one of the best blokes you’ll ever meet in footy. I know all the boys are sad to see you go, but I know you’re going to do great things wherever you go. You give time to people, you care and I think what everyone will miss most is your humour.

To ‘Ebo’ and ‘Domsy’ [Tom Lonergan], I just want to say a big thanks for the energy you provided as development coaches. I think it was infectious, you’re both great guys and I know the boys are going to miss you. You’re doing things at other clubs or business ventures, all the best with what lies ahead.

To ‘Greavesy’ and big ‘Sammy’ Hamill… ‘Greavesy’, at least we’ll have a bit of food left for the players after weights. He loves his snacks. But I think I speak on behalf of everyone that the organisation and what you did for the Club was special. And to Aaron Hamill, the man’s man - so relatable and one of the best guys you can have in footy. There was nothing better than all his different terminology in a meeting. I’m going to miss that, thank you mate.

To ‘Lloydy’, one thing I respected so much is how he handled himself in the last couple of weeks at the footy club. It said a lot about his character and who he is as a person. He’s someone that has a high level of respect and dignity. For all the work you’ve done in your last seven years at the Club, for me personally but also the footy club, we appreciate it. Thank you, mate.

To all the players that won’t be here next year, Carlton holds a special place with a lot of memories. You’ll always be Carlton people and one thing that I know will happen is we’ll be great mates and you’ll have lifelong mates, way after footy is done. To all those guys, all the best for lies ahead and I’ve always got your back.

The last thank you is to my good mate Doc. I know you’ll get a lot of pump ups tonight, I spent a week with him so I’m sick of talking about him. There are certain people in your life that inspire you to be better. He’s a great mate, he's resilient, he’s honest, his leadership throughout the football club has been special. I love you mate, good on ya.

Now to the season. I’ve had the honour to call myself a Carlton player for 12 years and been lucky enough to captain this great club for seven. I feel like I’ve got a pretty good exposure to what Carlton is like - I think it’s fair to say that as a club, we can live in the extremes a lot.

Anyone that knows me would know I’m a big optimist and I always will be. But at the same time, I’m also a realist.

This year was bloody tough. It tested everyone, myself included, both physically and mentally, and I feel like everyone in the room and those watching at home would’ve felt the same way. At times, all of us would’ve felt those negative emotions: frustration, anger, disappointment. We’re all human. Personally I felt all this, but I hate being in this space for too long.

Football to me is about competing. Joy, excitement and connection. Being resilient through the toughest moments, sticking with your mates even when the external is trying to pull you apart. I know as players that when we do this, there is a serious army and energy that are right in behind us.

As a playing group, particularly in the first half of the year, when the moments arrived we didn’t take them. Before we knew it, the moments had passed. For the first time in four years, I felt like we were needing to find a purpose, with a fair chunk of the season still to play and the goal of playing finals already taken away from us.

During this time, I think a lot of us had to dig really deep about why we play the game. What motivates you, and really reflect on why you love the game. Like any adversity and tough times, you hate being in it. But you learn some very good lessons that can help you bounce forward if you take them on.

With six games to go, the energy at the Club shifted. The enjoyment and love for the game without a doubt came back. We worked bloody hard during this time. To put it simply, we controlled what we could control, and on top of the hard work, we really created an environment which was fun with a lot of enjoyment and you could see that come out on game day.

We had the young boys bring the energy that also got a taste of AFL footy, leaders standing up and a total commitment to looking after each other and being there for your mates.

So we get to this point of the year, and I’ve said it a few times over the past few weeks at a few different things I’ve done: I’m still very bullish about what comes next.

My motivation - and I know a lot of the other boys feel the exact same way - is as high as it has ever been. The reasons for this are firstly, we didn’t like the way the season unfolded. It stung and I know what the group is capable of.

Second, I know the character and the drive of the people we have at this footy club, and the potential of the group. I know we can reach that. It will take total buy in, but I know this group will do the work.

Tonight, as the Carlton Footy Club, let’s sign off on the 2025 season and move forward clear with what we’re going to be about. Let’s be bold, be aggressive in everything we do as a club. Let’s move forward with joy, with optimism and together. One club, loving the game, playing and supporting with an incredible energy that is unique to Carlton.

I love the analogy of bouncing forward, not bouncing back. We can always bounce better from the lessons we learned, a better version than we ever were.

To the players, especially the younger guys, you’re only scratching the surface of your potential. Keep staying curious on ways to get better, no matter what your age is. Work hard with discipline, have a positive mindset to get after work and any challenges that may face us, and always reminder to keep having fun and loving the game like you were when you were a kid.

Because what’s coming - and what I can’t wait for - is the noise, the big games, the big moments and the expectations. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over my 12 years of playing for the Carlton Footy Club, you have to learn to love this and you have to thrive in it.

If you can’t meet the demand, you have to do the work to build yourself up to thrive in those big moments. The moments are coming. You want those moments because it means you’re in games that matter. That’s what makes sport so special.

There will be obstacles and challenges next year, but always remember the way forward with any obstacle or challenge is not running away or going around it. It’s facing it head on and going straight through it, together.

That’s where total connection lies.

I just want to say a huge thanks to our families: our partners, our wives, our kids, our parents and our friends who support us through the ups and downs. We love and appreciate you guys.

A huge thanks to our supporters here tonight and all over the world. Footy clubs don’t exist without you.

I love playing footy, I love leading this great club and I can’t wait for Round 1 next year. It’s going to be a fun year to share with you all.