4 minute read
First draft
FIRSTDRAFT
Getting diagnosed with type 1 diabetes the week before draft hasn’t stopped Jamie Cripps building a fantastic career in AFL, writes MYKE BARTLETT.
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Draft selection is a nerve-wracking time for a young footballer, knowing that getting picked for the right team – or any team! – will be a defining moment in their career. For Jamie Cripps, getting drafted was only half the stress. His first AFL draft came a week after the then-18-year-old had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
“Just before the draft was about to happen I went into hospital for a couple of days and got the news,” Jamie says. “It was obviously a massive shock and I didn’t really know if I’d be able to play at the top level of AFL or any clubs.”
He had been unwell for a while, losing weight and finding it harder to get out of bed, but the diagnosis still came out of the blue, although type 1 diabetes does run in his family.
“My old boy, my dad, has type 1, so I’d grown up seeing him deal with it. But having to do it yourself is obviously a massive challenge.” Given how close the diagnosis was to the draft and worried no club would want him with diabetes, Jamie kept his news quiet until after St Kilda had picked him. Thankfully, they were very supportive of their new recruit. “They said, no worries, mate, we’ll help you out. They had club doctors and specialists over in Melbourne that I could go to and they were really, really helpful. They went a bit easy on me for my first preseason and really helped me monitor my training, because I was only a couple of weeks into dealing with the condition.”
The hardest part for Jamie was getting used to how organised he had to be, managing his diabetes while settling into his new career. He was grateful to have the support of the club around him as he got used to how training affected his blood glucose levels and vice versa, but he was aware he was having to deal with things his teammates weren’t.
“If my bloods were too high, I’d get a bit shaky so I’d try to get my bloods around 10mmol/L, because I didn’t want to be dropping too low during a game. It’s hard to keep the level around 10, because adrenaline and all that stuff kicks in as well.”
While finding the right balance during training proved hard, he says he knows he was lucky to already be fit and active when diagnosed. “If I’ve had to have surgery and not been able to run for a month or so, I’ve always found that was harder to manage than when I was exercising. Exercise does tend to help keep my blood at a better level and a consistent level.”
New technology has also helped. Jamie says the change to the subsidies for flash scanners has made a big difference to him.
“The scanners on the back of your arm are amazing. Now they’re subsidised I will start wearing them a lot more. It’s good to know that your blood’s dropping down to low before it gets to a dangerous level.” Although he felt obliged to keep quiet about his diagnosis at the time, the fact he’s gone on to have such a successful career means Jamie believes AFL clubs wouldn’t think twice now about drafting someone with type 1. “There’s other players with type 1 now, like Paddy McCartin over in Sydney. But there’s so much support, everyone backs you up. They make it easy for us.”
For his part, he’s proud to have been an ambassador for groups such as Diabetes Research WA and hopes he’s shown the next generation of footballers that type 1 diabetes needn’t get in the way of your dreams. “My old boy was always a good role model and I know it’s good for young kids to see that their idols still have struggles. I enjoy doing stuff for kids who have type 1 and I’m always happy to have a chat and see if I can help them out in any way.” What advice would he give himself, when he was first diagnosed, back at the very start of his career? “Don’t let it stop you from doing what you want to do. You’ve just got to be more prepared and more organised. Get as much help as you need. If you can get your routine downpat it’ll help you with all your sport and hopefully through life.”
