Club: Carlton
Coach: Daniel Harford
2020 captains: Katie Loynes and Kerryn Harrington
2020 best and fairest: Madison Prespakis
2020 in a nutshell: Promising, but ultimately frustrating. The Blues finished the season in powerful style, winning five of their last six games including a semi-final shellacking of Brisbane. A blockbuster preliminary final against North Melbourne beckoned before the season was shut down. However, Daniel Harford's side showed the stunning rise to a Grand Final in 2019 was no fluke. On the back of Prespakis' brilliant season and All-Australian years from bookends Kerryn Harrington and Tayla Harris, Carlton showed it ranked firmly among the AFLW's powerhouse clubs.
New players: Maddy Guerin, Charlotte Hammans, Mimi Hill, Winnie Laing, Elise O'Dea, Daisy Walker
YOUR CLUB'S DRAFT All you need to know about the 57 new faces
Notable departures: Sarah Hosking (Richmond), Jayde Van Dyk (St Kilda), Joanne Doonan, Katie Harrison, Sharnie Whiting, Emerson Woods (all delisted)
Inactive players: Chloe Dalton
2021 opponents: Collingwood (h), Western Bulldogs (a), Gold Coast (a), North Melbourne (h), Melbourne (h), West Coast (h), Adelaide (a), Geelong (a) and Fremantle (h)
FULL 2021 AFLW FIXTURE Check it out here
Circle it: The home game against the Kangaroos in round four is no substitute for the preliminary final that never was, but the clash between two flag contenders will give a mid-season mental edge to the victor. The midfield battle between Prespakis and North champion Emma Kearney will be crucial.
Player to watch: Former Demon Elise O'Dea has been one of the AFLW's best players since its inception and she will add a strong, prolific presence to the Blues' midfield and take some of the heat off reigning League best and fairest Maddy Prespakis.
Best Rising Star chance: Mimi Hill
2021 prediction: The Blues should feature deep into the finals series, having been in a very strong position before the 2020 season was aborted. The loss of Sarah Hosking is covered by the recruitment of O'Dea, and they have one of the most balanced lists going around. A top-three finish beckons.
