Northampton’s Patrick Cripps rallies Carlton for first finals win with help from Geraldton’s Jack Martin

The first weekend of AFL finals saw four Mid West players in action, playing key roles on the game’s biggest stage. After 180 games, the longest streak of games played without reaching the finals for the Blues was broken when Brownlow Medallist and Northampton product, Patrick Cripps, finally made his September debut. During the “Captain’s” first game of finals footy, his side managed to rally at the MCG with an 11.8 (74) to 9.14 (68) win over the Sydney Swans on Friday. It was also a case of first final and first finals win for Cripps’ teammate Jack Martin, who went to high school in Geraldton and played for Towns. Cripps kicked 1.1 in the win and racked up 21 disposals, five tackles and three clearances with 202m gained. His goal came at a crucial point in the third quarter, as Sydney was staging a comeback. Martin, a former Gold Coast Sun, made some massive plays for the Blues, kicking two goals, along with a goal assist, 12 disposals, five marks and two tackles. Two of his marks were taken in defence in the dying minutes as Carlton staved off a fast-finishing Swans outfit. During his post-match Interview, Martin said the crowd was so electric that he didn’t know what to do with the ball. “Every time I took a bloody mark, I didn’t know what to do with it, it was that loud,” he said on Seven. “Kill the ball or mark it (was what I was thinking), but it was that bloody noisy ... I couldn’t hear anyone.” However, despite his heroics Martin’s season could be over, after he was handed two-match ban for a high contact hit on Sydney defender Nick Blakey in the first quarter. The match review officer graded the hit as careless conduct with high contact, handing the suspension to Martin on Saturday. Carlton will challenge the ban at the tribunal, which was due to take place on Tuesday. Local Mid West talent was all over the MCG at the weekend, with Coorow-Latham’s Logan McDonald playing for the Swans. He was the game’s equal leading goal scorer with two majors, along with 10 disposals and four tackles in the loss to Carlton. In the first match of finals, Geraldton’s Judd McVee continued his streak of appearing in every game for Melbourne this season since debuting in round one, lacing up for the Demons’ side which lost to Collingwood 9.6 (60) to 7.11 (53) on Thursday night at the MCG. Playing around the ground, McVee saw some action with 11 disposals, four marks, one tackle, 118m gained and 77 per cent of time on the ground. The emerging star, who scored a rising star nomination this season, will get another chance at finals, when Melbourne and Carlton battle it out for a preliminary final spot on Friday night at the MCG. The winner faces Brisbane at the Gabba.