Carlton pair forced apart after feisty training scuffle as Blues prepare for AFL finals clash with Sydney Swans
Carlton duo split after spirited training battle as Blues prepare for AFL final against Sydney Swans
- Cardboard duo Marc Pittonet and Matt Kennedy had to be broken up during practice
- Tempers flared as the Blues prepared for their final match against Sydney
- But Blues captain Patrick Cripps insists the feud only lasted minutes
Tempers flared at Carlton on Saturday when ruckman Marc Pittonet and Matt Kennedy were involved in a short but heated fight and had to be separated by teammates.
The pair shook hands and laughed off the incident a few minutes later, AAP reports, after the big ruckman was knocked to the ground during a big workout.
“We train the way we want to play,” Blues captain Patrick Cripps said as his side prepared for their final against Sydney next weekend.
“When Pitto is at his best, he is a big boy who throws his weight and is aggressive.
“Our brand is that physicality and making us feel the opposition.
Tempers flared during Carlton’s practice when two players were forced apart over a scuffle
Matthew Kennedy and Marc Pittonet got into a fight after the ruckman was knocked over
‘He is at the forefront of this, together with the great King (Tom De Koning).
‘The big boys do that, the rest clap after them.’
Far from satisfied with reaching the AFL final for the first time, Carlton captain Cripps is determined to make an impact on the big stage.
Cripps returns from a week off in top form for Friday night’s elimination final against Sydney.
It will be the 28-year-old’s first final after 180 games – and a Brownlow medal last year – over the course of a decade.
“It’s one thing to make it, now we have to make an impact,” Cripps said ahead of his club’s first finals campaign since 2013, a few weeks before being called up.
We don’t want to make up the numbers.
“We like to make a big impact and we know our best footy stacks.
“On Friday we have one more big (training) session for the Swans and then we’re going to have a red-hot crack.”
The big ruckman was unimpressed by his teammates’ antics during the hitout
Words were exchanged between the pair before things cooled down on Saturday
Cripps’ last taste of finals football at any level was half his life ago when he was 14 years old in Western Australia.
The stalwart midfielder is excited about the prospect of lining up again for an overcrowded MCG and senses a similar vibe among long-suffering Blues fans, who have been on a roller coaster ride with Michael Voss’ team this season.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment, like a lot of other guys,” said Cripps.
‘We’re lucky to be playing for a big club like Carlton, we play in prime-time slots (in front of a big crowd)… so while many of us haven’t played in a final yet, we feel we mentally did. ‘
Sydney came second in 2022, winning six of their last seven home and away games to secure a place in the final and go into September with confidence.
Cripps expects a physical match.
“That’s our brand, but that’s also their brand,” he said.
“You talk about the ‘Blood Culture’ and we know what’s coming our way.
“Finals become a contested game and it can be an arm wrestling for a long part of the game, it’s just which system and which match can hold out the longest.”
Cripps trained well at a Carlton supporters open day at Ikon Park on Saturday, declaring himself fully fit and allaying fears about key striker Harry McKay leaving the court early as part of his load management.
The Blues have yet to rule out wingman Blake Acres after he was ruled out with a shoulder injury in the Round 24 loss to Greater Western Sydney.
“He’s put in a few laps today and he’s pretty optimistic he’ll get up,” said Cripps.