One of the most courageous comebacks in recent football history has come to an end with St Kilda announcing it has delisted defender Jason Cripps.
Cripps, 26, was supported by the Saints for three years when his career was threatened by a debilitating hamstring injury, but he fought back to play in 20 games in 2002, including his 50th AFL game in round 15.
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas indicated it was a tough decision to delist Cripps, but he said he felt several players on the list had moved ahead of him, including Steven Baker, who finished third in the club’s best and fairest. Thomas said it was going to become difficult for Cripps to gain a role in the starting line-up.
“It was a very hard decision, obviously. He played a lot of games for us last year and did a lot of great jobs for us, but going forward it would’ve been increasingly difficult to play him, especially with the quality young players we’ve got,” Thomas said.
“I needed to be open and honest and frank with him … and give him an opportunity if he wanted to pursue his AFL career, to then go in the draft. (Hopefully he’ll) get picked up by a side that wants a person with character and integrity and someone who’s been through the hard yards, been to the bottom and fought his way back and shown a lot of character in doing so.”
“He’s shown he can still do it at this level, but unfortunately not at our club in this point in time.”
Thomas said Cripps had suggested to him that he was unlikely to attempt to continue his AFL career, but said that attitude could change in the coming weeks.
“In my discussion with him yesterday (Tuesday), which I give him a lot of credit for the way he accepted it manfully, his basic words back to me was that he was happy to lose his position for a kid, which is typical Cripper,” Thomas said.
Cripps played in St Kilda’s 1997 grand final team against Adelaide, but in round two of the following year snapped his hamstring tendon off the bone.
He underwent surgery and missed the rest of the 1998 season and the entire 1999 and 2000 seasons before returning to play two games in 2001. His stirring goal with his first kick in his comeback game in round 15 was one of the highlights of the 2001 season.
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Cripps at training
Jason and his opponent having a go at each other.
Cripps', first game back in 3years, is congratulated by Brett Voss after kicking a goal from his first kick
