Things went from bad to worse for Carlton in the second quarter against the Brisbane Lions on Sunday.
Having left the park at 38-2, the Blues needed a spark and skipper Patrick Cripps tried to deliver it.
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A long kick to the line by Adam Cerra was punched in the air by Brisbane’s Daniel Rich and Lions teammate Callum Ah Chee camped underneath.
When the ball came down, Cripps came in at a hundred miles an hour and came out of cover and flattened Ah Chee with a nasty hip and shoulder.
The impact of the impact left Ah Chee flat on the Gabba surface as several Lions teammates protested against Cripps.
Medical personnel rushed to Ah Chee’s side and he remained bent over on his hands and knees before he was able to stand up and, under his own power, get off the ground.
To make matters even worse for Cripps and his upcoming appointment with the Match Review Panel, Ah Chee was substituted from the game with concussion, Mitch Robinson taking his place.
Cripps was sixth favorite for the 2022 Brownlow Medal in the TAB markets, but his name will surely carry an asterisk on AFL nights.
“He’s far more likely to be suspended than not. The bottom line in the AFL is if you decide to hit, you’re responsible for the fall,” Jon Ralph told Fox Footy during the half-time show.
“This is a textbook case. He jumps off the floor, it’s not a marking contest, he doesn’t really contest the ball, he prepares instead of getting to the ball.
“Ah Chee is submerged, so it has absolutely medium impact, even high impact.”
Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard was ruled out earlier this year for a strikingly similar hit to GWS’s Daniel Lloyd that saw him miss two weeks.
“It’s hard to watch,” former Carlton star Eddie Betts told Fox Footy.
Carlton’s place in the finals is up for grabs, currently sitting seventh on the ladder a game behind ninth St Kilda.
They end the season with games against reigning premiers Melbourne and fierce Collingwood.
Fail to win one and they could find themselves on the outside looking in and having to secure a win without their inspirational skipper could prove to be mission impossible.
Read related topics: Brisbane