CARLTON co-captain Patrick Cripps knows the importance of early wins.

Slow starts to seasons have been a far too frequent occurrence in recent seasons: the Blues had won just one game in the last seven years from their opening three games.

That changed last night at Kardinia Park, as the Blues hung on against a rampaging Geelong to record a gripping two-point win.

Speaking to AFL Nation post-match, Cripps said the victory meant a lot to the playing group.

“To win close on the road, even though we just scraped through, is character-building for the group,” Cripps said.

“It was about bringing the intensity early. All the viewers at home would’ve seen we pressed at them and put on a lot of pressure — everything flowed from that.

“A win early on gives the group a lot of confidence that we can beat anyone anywhere: especially since this is nearly the toughest ask in footy. I’m pretty pumped.”

Cripps was at his brilliant best on Saturday night, with his 12 clearances more than double the next best on the ground.

Finishing with 24 disposals (17 contested) and two goals, the most pleasing thing for Carlton supporters was that Cripps wasn’t alone.

He said the effort across the board - and for the entirety of four quarters - was something that was a clear focus for everyone at Ikon Park.

“We know when we compete and bring the pressure like we did tonight, it stacks up against anyone,” he said.

“In patches in Rounds 1 and 2, we did bring that but it wasn’t for long enough. [Last night] we were able to do it for long enough.

“It’s good to win: you don’t want to get too carried with it but you’ve got to enjoy the little wins along the way.”