Leigh Matthews says the form shown by Carlton skipper Patrick Cripps in preseason has him hopeful for the season ahead.

Cripps, who played injured for much of last year, struggled to reach the highs of 2019 when he won the Leigh Matthews Trophy, the award given to the league’s most valuable player as judged by his peers.

“On the form that he showed last week, hopefully can be back in that Martin, Bontempelli, Petracca, Fyfe — the big powerful midfielder who can be a potential goal kicker,” Matthews said on Sportsday.

“That had disappeared, whether it was injuries… but he had degenerated from a matchwinner into an almost journeyman by the middle of last year.

“But last week, he was outstanding.”

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