Carlton co-captain Patrick Cripps has opened up about his future as he enters the final year of his contract at the Blues.
Cripps spent his off-season back home in Western Australia and with his deal expiring at season's end, rumours are starting to flow already.
The 25-year-old will have the option to assess his free agency rights, but says he doesn't see himself leaving Carlton any time soon.
Cripps has long preached his desire to achieve success at Ikon Park, believing the pain he has gone through since arriving will make the success taste that much sweeter.
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Speaking to Channel 7, Cripps said he wasn't putting a timeframe on when a new deal would be struck, but that Blues fans need not be worried.
โIโm really happy at the club, Iโm not going to put a time-frame on it, because last year I obviously wasnโt in Melbourne,โ Cripps said.
โWeโre going through the process now (with my management) but I really enjoy my time at the club and itโs been a lean few years but I really feel like weโre building something special.โ
Cripps admitted he missed his family and friends but said he has been in Melbourne long enough now to be settled in.
The bullish on-baller spoke about his love for what the Blues had done for him in his time at Princes Park and wants to show his appreciation.
โI reckon over in the west every person I asked was an Eagles or Dockers recruiter, they were in the supermarkets, but Iโm really happy at the club,โ Cripps said.
โYou always miss family and friends but Iโve been over here, this will be my eighth year now, so you start to build a really good network over here.
โIโve got a lot of good mates over here and the club has basically been a second family to me.โ
Cripps had a disappointing year by his lofty standards, he had a niggling shoulder for the majority of the season and also made minor adjustments to his body for the 2020 campaign.
Cripps says he lost some muscle to aid his running ability but has decided this year to put back on the muscle he lost in a bid to regain his 2019 form.
โMy shoulderโs doing really well, I did a lot of rehab over the break back in WA.
โI sort of tried something different last year - I tried to get a bit lighter to help my running.
โLook I still had an all right year but I sort of want to get back to being real strong around the contest and yeah went back in the gym back home.โ
