Patrick Cripps ‘orchestrated’ profanity-laced interview after Carlton’s loss to Collingwood, says Luke Hodge

Glenn Valencich
7NEWS Sport
The Carlton skipper did not make a mistake with his F-bombs, according to Luke Hodge.

Patrick Cripps showed his frustrations with Carlton’s winless start to the season in a profanity-laced interview after the loss to Collingwood at the MCG last Thursday.

But Hawthorn premiership great Luke Hodge believes the Blues skipper’s choice to drop the F-bomb — twice — was little more than an “orchestrated” piece of theatre for fans.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Patrick Cripps ‘orchestrates’ profanity-laced interview.

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“Mate if I had the answers I wish I’d f***ing know,” Cripps told the ABC.

Asked if he was confident the year was not wasted, he went again: “I’m very bullish on what we can still do. Obviously you don’t want to be zip and four but f*** that’s where we’re at at the moment.”

Hodge knows Cripps would be hurting but, having watched and spoken to the Brownlow medallist over the years, he wasn’t necessarily buying the swear words.

“I think that was orchestrated,” Hodge said on The Agenda Setters.

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“Patrick Cripps is a smooth media performer. He does not make those mistakes. I have listened to him for years. Love him as a player, love him when he does talk in the media.

“That was orchestrated to make sure the supporters know that he’s just as frustrated. Because I don’t think I’ve ever heard him swear.

“So for him to put two in, I think that was orchestrated to show the passion that he as a player is hurting as well.”

Dale Thomas disagreed with the idea, sharing his own theory behind the F-bombs.

“I reckon that’s the difference of radio interview versus TV interview,” he said.

“Just relaxed a little bit.”

But the Collingwood premiership winner did call out one aspect of Carlton’s season to date.

He said it was “pretty safe to say” the Blues erred going down the “speed and power” path that became their ‘three-word buzz phrase’ in the pre-season.

“Endurance and the speed probably the two keys, and there’s not a lot of speed,” Thomas said.

“I’ll grant you power but at the moment they need to really figure out what is going on and the style they want to play.

“Because at the moment that territory, kick it forward, no real system ahead of the ball and just have a crack isn’t the way to go any more.

“I think they got it slightly wrong.”

Originally published on 7NEWS Sport

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