A CLASS above.

Co-captain Patrick Cripps has become the youngest three-time Carlton best-and-fairest winner after being awarded the 2019 John Nicholls Medal.

Cripps edged out the competition to accumulate the winning tally of 143 votes, finishing ahead of runner-up Ed Curnow (138 votes) and third-placed Lachie Plowman (134 votes).

The co-captain took an early lead in the John Nicholls Medal race, holding a 28-vote lead over Sam Walsh at the end of the halfway mark of the season.

But the gap was closed with Ed Curnow’s impressive form late in the season reflected in the vote count after Round 13.

Curnow’s consistency in the back half of the year saw him lead the count by three votes at the end of Round 18, with Cripps needing a strong showing for the remaining five rounds to finish with the top award.

A player who lives Carlton’s values and goes above and beyond.



Ed Curnow is that player. #BoundByBlue pic.twitter.com/vEqJnESQF8 — Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) October 4, 2019

Leading by one vote heading into the final game of the season, it took a 35-disposal performance in Round 23 to seal a historic John Nicholls Medal win.

At the conclusion of the count, just five votes separated the two Blues, reflecting their strong contributions throughout the season.

Cripps averaged 28 disposals, 17 contested possessions, nine clearances and six tackles a game, while also kicking 13 goals over the course of the season.

"With footy the thing you love is the experience when you win after the game," Cripps said

"You can't really replicate that in life.

"We're so optimistic of where we're going, but nothing is a given. We know where we want to get for, we want to play finals footy.

"We know we're on a journey, we made a lot of inroads towards the end of the year, but we know we've still got a long way to go."

The co-captain led from the front in his first year as skipper, with his impressive form evidence of his ability to shoulder leadership responsibilities while maintaining his status among the competition’s elite.

The top honour rounded off what has been an another award-ladened season for the star midfielder: he also received the Carltonians Award as well as the Bill Lanyon Inner Blue Ruthless Award on Carlton’s night of nights.

While Cripps has established himself as a hero among Blues faithful, he was also recognised in the wider competition in 2019 with a second consecutive All-Australian selection as well as the AFLPA MVP award.