2025 AFLW Season Previews: Carlton
2024 ladder position: 14th (4 wins, 7 losses)
2024 best-and-fairest: Keeley Sherar
Senior coach: Mathew Buck
Story of the season
Another serving of mediocrity, only this time even more bitter and unsatisfying. Carlton, 12th in 2023 and 14th in the second 2022 season, couldn’t make nearly enough progress either up the ladder or in terms of an effective gameplan. Injuries to some key players, like Erone Fitzpatrick, didn’t help. But clearly, the Carlton hierarchy believed that the team underperformed. They made nine list changes in the off-season, including six delistings – a George Costanza-esque move apparently based on idea that since what they were doing wasn’t working, why not do more-or-less the exact opposite? Based on the evidence of their opening game of the season, a stirring four-goal defeat of Collingwood, led by a best-afield performance from midfielder Mimi Hill, the Blues could be onto something.
Summary of game style
Last season, Carlton’s AFLW side attempted to win the ball in close and chain up by hand to get to the outside of the contest. Despite their lowly finish on the ladder, the Blues actually ranked fourth in the AFLW for intercept possessions, fifth for disposals and sixth for clearances. Getting the ball wasn’t the issue. And Carlton didn’t lack a clear identity with ball in hand, either – they ranked fifth for handballs, 17th for kick percentage, and 18th for metres gained per disposal. But that reliance on handball didn’t translate to the speed you would expect. Carlton were 17th for bounces. Nor did it translate to efficiency and precision. The Blues were 17th for marks, 16th for scoring shots per inside-50, and 18th for turnover differential.
That final statistic, in particular, speaks to this side’s biggest weakness: application of pressure. No side last season conceded rebound 50s at a greater rate than Carlton. It’s partly structure, partly personnel. But the Blues need to fix it up if they’re to begin moving up the ladder. That’s what made the first game of the season – admittedly against modest opposition in Collingwood – feel so encouraging. Carlton kicked a higher score than in any game last season, and mustered more inside-50s than in all but one game. And they did it with noticeably quicker ball movement.
List changes
In:
Poppy Scholz (2024 AFLW Draft – Pick #6)
Sophie McKay (2024 AFLW Draft – Pick #17)
Lou-Lou Field (2024 AFLW Draft – Pick #46)
Tara Bohanna (traded – Gold Coast)
Aisling Reidy (rookie – County Clare, Ladies Gaelic Football Association)
Siofra O'Connell (rookie – County Clare, Ladies Gaelic Football Association)
Maria Cannon (rookie – County Mayo, Ladies Gaelic Football Association)
Eliza Wood (replacement player – Carlton VFLW)
Madison Torpey (replacement player – Box Hill VFLW)
Out:
Marianna Anthony (delisted)
Tahlia Read (delisted)
Lulu Beatty (delisted)
Jade Halfpenny (delisted)
Gen Lawson-Tavan (delisted)
Taylor Ortlepp (delisted)
Jess Dal Pos (retired)
Celine Moody (retired)
Kerryn Peterson (inactive)
Tarni Brown (inactive)
List profile
It was a busy off-season at Ikon Park. Nine list changes, including the delisting of regular key defender Gen Lawson-Tavan, was a clear signal from Senior Coach Mathew Buck and Head of Women’s Football Ash Naulty that the Blues were unsatisfied with the performance of the list – and determined to shake things up.
Consistent with the current AFLW recruitment meta, the recruitment team looked to Ireland – picking up three rookies, including lifelong best friends, Aisling Reidy and Siofria O’Connell. On the evidence of the Round 1 game, another Irishwoman, Erone Fitzpatrick, appears poised to take the next step in her development. Tara Bohanna, the former captain of Gold Coast, will add much-needed physical presence to the forward line.
Significant list turnover has had a noticeable impact on demographics. Carlton go into the 2025 season as the fifth-least experienced list. They don’t have the profile of a contender (which they won’t be), but they have the profile of a team and club that’s beginning to treat the AFLW a bit more seriously.
Line rankings
Defence: Average
Midfield: Average
Forward: Below Average
Ruck: Above Average
The case for optimism
Frankly, it looks like the Carlton AFLW program has received an injection of (completely legal!) energy and enthusiasm over the off-season. There’s nothing like new blood and a resounding Round 1 win – against your arch-rivals, no less – to make everyone feel positive. A nominally easier fixture (a result of the AFLW introducing fixturing based on the previous season’s finishing position) should also make things easier.
The case for pessimism
Things might be better – but they still probably won’t be good relative to the competition’s established benchmarks. And they might not be better for long. The short length of the AFLW season usually mitigates the impact of fatigue, but it does mean that there isn’t much time to bed down a new style and new personnel.
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Breakout player
Based on the evidence of the first game of the season, this is Erone Fitzpatrick’s imaginary award to lose. She was a livewire against Collingwood, kicking two goals and instilling lots of panic. Coming off an ACL injury which cost her the entire 2024 season and raring to go after a big season, the Irishwoman could well move the needle for Carlton this season.
Most important player
On their day, Darcy Vescio is one of the best players in the AFLW. But, as excellent a goalkicker as they are, they’re more of a finisher than an instigator. Mimi Hill, now returned to her rightful place in the Carlton midfield, is the player who really makes the Blues tick.
Biggest question to answer
Will the new gameplan that we saw in Round 1 of the new season stick against better opponents? Carlton looked noticeably quicker and more dynamic against Collingwood. But (with all due respect to the Pies), significantly sterner tests await.
What success looks like
In the short term, it’s escaping the bottom five vortex that Carlton have found themselves in for too long. In the long term, it’s laying the foundations for sustained competitiveness, and – eventually – Premiership success.
In a nutshell
Carlton are a long way from the best sides in the AFLW. But, for the first time in a while, it looks as though they might begin closing the gap when it comes to both gameplan and commitment to the football program.
What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.