sport news Carlton Blues star Patrick Cripps slams claim he ditched his team to stay at ... trends now
Under-fire Carlton captain Patrick Cripps has angrily denied reports that he stayed in a separate hotel to teammates ahead of the Blues' loss to Sydney last Friday night.
The Blues face increased scrutiny following a disappointing first half to the AFL season, sitting 13th on the ladder with just four wins.
That included a 26-point loss in round 11 to the struggling Sydney Swans that has the blowtorch firmly aimed at the battling Blues.
Speaking on Channel Nine's Footy Classified this week, veteran journalist Caroline Wilson singled out Cripps and teammate Sam Docherty, saying they stayed in a separate hotel to teammates which was not good for team unity and morale.
'First of all, Patrick Cripps, when they had a short break after the West Coast game, was given leave to have an extra day at home, he's obviously a Perth boy,' Wilson said about Cripps.
'I don't think many eyebrows were raised over that, but internally a couple of people did.
'Then before the Sydney game, I think Sam Docherty and Patrick Cripps didn't stay at the team hotel, they stayed at a boutique hotel in Paddington.
'Is that unusual? It just seems in times like this when you need to galvanise, it seemed a bit odd to me they weren't all together after the game.'
Cripps has angrily denied the claims that he said questioned his character and commitment to the team
Cripps spent time with his wife and family members in Sydney after the match during his time off from the club
Caroline Wilson made the accusation on Footy Classified and questioned whether it was good for team unity and morale
Cripps responded on his Instagram account, firing back at Wilson that the information was incorrect and he didn't stay at a separate