It has been a year nobody will forget, and Jamie Cripps had even more reason to remember 2020 after the arrival of son, Reif, in mid-September. The pending arrival of his first child caused the hard-working small forward to miss the final four regular season matches due to quarantine requirements after he returned to WA early from Queensland in time for the birth. When he was on the park, Cripps remained a valuable contributor – as evidenced by him sitting top-10 in the John Worsfold Medal after 13 rounds. He was equal 2nd for average score involvements (4.4) and goal assists (0.8) at West Coast this year, and his defensive pressure (No.1 tackles inside 50) never wavered.
Standout performance: Out of quarantine and into action
Following a month on the sidelines and two separate stints in quarantine, Cripps was raring to go for the elimination final and did everything in his power to help drag the side over the line. With a personal season-high 17 disposals, he was in the thick of the action and his goal to put West Coast ahead in the third quarter after a swift centre clearance had Optus Stadium rocking. He also laid five tackles, had seven score involvements and delivered the ball inside 50 on a game-high seven occasions in another epic final against Collingwood.
Season averages:
Disposals – 11.9
Pressure Acts – 17.1
Inside 50s – 2.7
Tackles Inside 50 – 1.3
Goal Assists – 0.8
