Patrick Cripps and Jack Carroll’s Mid West bond on show after Carlton’s round one win against Richmond

In the first full round of AFL’s 2024 season, Mid West talent was on full display as local players dominated across the board. Carlton captain and Northampton’s Patrick Cripps put on a skipper’s performance on Thursday against Richmond, dominating around the ground in the win. Cripps had a game high 31 disposals along with seven tackles, as the Blues improved to 2-0 on their season in a game that came down to the wire, with Carlton winning 12.14 (86) to 12.9 (81). The Blues have welcomed the growth of another potential Mid West star in Jack Carroll, who was selected for the 22 after being the sub in round zero, and took full advantage of the opportunity. Carroll put up one of the best performances in his young AFL career, with the 21-year-old finishing with a career high 20 disposals in the win. After the win both Cripps and Carroll spoke with Channel 7’s Brian Taylor in the changerooms about the win and where they grew up. “Everyone’s cooked I think, it was a tough game. We found a way to dig in again, so it was a cracking contest, they threw a lot of punches,” Cripps said. “(Jack Carroll’s) from the GNFL back home, a good part of the world up there BT.” When Taylor asked Carroll where he was from, the young midfielder brought up his hometown club with the skipper supporting his growth. “(I’m from) Geraldton, Chapman Valley Football Club,” Carroll said. “Mid West, good area over there, he’s done well. Fourth year, so he’s done his apprenticeship,” Cripps added. “Look at the size of him, he’s put on a few kilos, he’s playing well. He’s playing with belief and confidence, that’s the main thing.” During a round where the AFL broke the record for attendance in round one, the Blues played in front of a crowd of more than 83,000. When asked how it felt to play in front of the massive crowd, Carroll said he was glad to have a chance to be out there. “It was bloody good to be out there, worked pretty hard to get the opportunity again,” he said. “Playing with guys like (Cripps) makes it easy, makes it really enjoyable.” Just a day later, the MCG saw another Mid West talent light up the footy field as Logan McDonald showed signs that he could be the club’s successor to Buddy Franklin with a four-goal performance. The fourth year forward could have just as easily had a bigger day with his final stat line at 4.2 in the win. On Sunday, Melbourne enjoyed a comfortable 45-point win over the Bulldogs with emerging defender Judd McVee continuing to grow in his role. The 20-year-old put up 20 disposals again and was given some kick out duties during the win. It wasn’t all wins for locals on the weekend, as West Coast suffered a 50-point loss at the hands of Port Adelaide during Tyler Brockman’s club debut. The former Hawk was not able to make much of an impact in his first game for the Eagles, but Northampton’s Jamie Cripps picked up an early goal when the game still looked competitive.