Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes has urged Patrick Cripps to clean up his ball use, suggesting that the Carlton star is becoming a "bit of a liability".
Cripps' patchy form has mirrored that of his team to start the 2021 season, with the Blues sitting 3-6 after nine rounds despite having finals aspirations in the pre-season.
MORE: David Teague's regret over Cripps injury denial
The 26-year-old's average of 24.7 disposals per game is his lowest average since 2015, outside of last season's shortened games, and he has struggled to have his usual impact while playing through a back injury.
Cornes suggested that Cripps and co-captain Sam Docherty were trying to do too much to will the Blues to victories and urged Blues coach David Teague to step in.
"I think he's letting his side down, he's becoming a little bit of a liability when he's got the football in his hands," he told Nine's Footy Classified.
"David Teague has got to forget about the back injury and start coaching this out of his game.
"That is not good enough for the best player and the captain to be making decisions like this.
"If an under-13s team made a decision like this to not get off the mark and do a millionaire's handball like that, you'd be critical of it, let alone a million-dollar captain of the club.
"Use your legs to drive through and give the first option, he is trying to do too much, he continues to do that and it has to be coached out of his game.
"No one's highlighting it because of the distraction around his injury. He's out there, he's fit and he's got to be better with the ball.
Cornes urged Cripps to take a leaf out of the books of Richmond skipper Trent Cotchin and Geelong captain Joel Selwood in a bid to improve his game.
"He needs to sit down with a Trent Cotchin, look at what Marcus Bontempelli is doing, look at what Joel Selwood is does," he said. "To be the greatest leader, he doesn't have to be the best player on the ground every day."
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