AT THE start of the 2026 season, Carlton said that the football club was "Like No Other". If ever there was a year that proved exactly that...

On Sunday, a draw with the Western Bulldogs confirmed that Carlton had secured a wildcard berth, with the Blues realising in the final minutes that a tied result would suffice. 

For captain Patrick Cripps, who was there for the heartbreak of 2022 against Collingwood - and also 2024, where the Blues were ultimately saved by a later result - he admitted it was a weird feeling... but he didn't really care.

"I was thinking about it, trying to actually save the game when it was a draw. After 2022, I don't really care how we get in - we've just got to get in," Cripps told Carlton Media post-match.

"To be honest, to put ourselves in the position we are now from the position we were in at the start of the year, it's awesome. I'm really proud of the group and the Club in general. 

"I feel like the energy throughout the year has been pretty consistent... the whole job of the year is to qualify for finals, we're in there now and we want to make some noise."

Cripps said the manner in which the Blues qualified, which also saw a strong Carlton crowd react in kind to the drawn result, summed up the "rollercoaster" that is being involved with the Carlton Football Club.

"This year has summed up what the Club is. I feel like we've made some really big growth as a club. As much as it's been a rollercoaster in the last 10-12 weeks, I feel like there's some sustainability behind it.

"It just sums up what the Club is about. We're passionate. We want to be in September and it doesn't matter how you get there, we found a way. Their passion is going to be huge."

Here's more of what Cripps had to say.

The immediate reaction to the draw: "That feels as good as a win. To be honest, I thought it was a great contest - the way the Bulldogs played really challenged us in a lot of ways. To qualify for finals is huge."

The final few minutes, realising a draw would be enough: "I saw the sign, but one of the backs took an intercept mark and ‘Weiters’ was really loud with it. We practice that a lot at training, it was pretty good the way we did it in transition. It was a weird feeling, but we recognised that we only needed a draw to get in. I thought we executed the last few minutes well."

Grinding out a result after previous heartbreak: "I was thinking about it, trying to actually save the game when it was a draw. After 2022, I don’t really care how we get in, we’ve just got to get in. To be honest, to put ourselves in the position we are now from the position we were in at the start of the year, it’s awesome. I’m really proud of the group and the Club in general. I feel like the energy throughout the year has been pretty consistent, but once we started ticking over the wins… the whole job of the year is to qualify for finals, we’re in there now and we want to make some noise."

The young players living it for the first time: "Jagga is up and about, you can’t wipe the smile off his face. They’ve added a lot to our group and have really helped us get in there. That’s what you play footy for, they’re going to get that exposure early in their career. Those guys are built for that.

"Harry Dean is made of the right stuff, Talor Byrne is the same, I love the way crack in. Billy Wilson too, the way he goes for his kicks. Those young guys, it’s great exposure for them, but they’re going to be a big say for us."

Playing his 200th game with Jacob Weitering: "It’s awesome. He’s one of if not the best key back in the game, he’s huge for us. It was great to see him back out there. If we’re going to give this thing a shake, he’s going to have a big say in it. He’s played 215 games, and I’ve played 200 of those with him which is pretty cool.

"It’s a nice reflection when you realise how long we’ve both been around for. When you’re leaders of the footy club, you spend a lot of time together and you try and problem solve and make the place as great as it can be. I’ve got a lot of respect for ‘Weiters’, I love the way he goes about it and he’s been so consistent for us for a long time. He leads really well."

The energy from the Carlton fans in the final minutes: "It just sums up what the Club is about. We’re passionate. We want to be in September and it doesn’t matter how you get there. We found a way. Their passion is going to be huge. We’ve obviously got one more to go and then I’m not sure who we’ll end up playing, but whether it’s in Melbourne or somewhere else, I know they’ll travel and I know they’ll be loud. Let’s try give it a shake."

The Club being "Like No Other": "Yes for sure. This year has summed up what the Club is. I feel like we’ve made some really big growth as a club. As much as it’s been a rollercoaster, the last 10-12 weeks, I feel like there’s some sustainability behind it. With this young core coming through, the older guys who’ve come in and the older guys who have been here, I feel like the foundation is really set to build on."