FROM the coaches and captains' pre-season premiership favourites to missing the finals, things just didn't click for a disappointing Carlton in 2021.

After losing the first two games of the season, the Blues left their finals charge too late, with a heartbreaking loss to Fremantle ultimately the final nail in the coffin.

Over the next few weeks, womens.afl will look at each of the seasons of the 14 AFLW teams in reverse ladder order.

WHO'S HANGING UP THE BOOTS? Your club's retiring players

Coach: Daniel Harford

Leadership group: Kerryn Harrington, Katie Loynes (co-captains), Alison Downie, Nicola Stevens, Darcy Vescio

2021 finishing position: Seventh, five wins and four losses, 125.8 per cent

Best team performance: Gold Coast 4.3 (27) lost to Carlton 13.9 (87) in round eight.

With its season on the line, Carlton fans would have been furious at coughing up the first three goals of the game, but the Blues more than made up for it after the first break. On the back of a five-goal haul from Darcy Vescio, the Blues piled more pain onto the Suns, recording the highest AFLW score of all time. 

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AFLW Match Highlights: Gold Coast v Carlton

The Suns and Blues clash in round eight of the NAB AFL Women's competition

Best individual performance: As mentioned above, Vescio's five goals against the Suns was a masterclass in how to play as a small forward. Not only did she find the middle of the big sticks herself, she had another two goal assists to go with her 15 disposals, six marks and three inside 50s.

NAB AFLW Rising Star nominations: Abbie McKay

Debutants: Serena Gibbs, Charlotte Hammans, Mimi Hill, Daisy Walker (AFLW debuts); Maddy Guerin, Elise O'Dea (club debuts)

Most improved: It's unusual to name a marquee player in this slot, but Darcy Vescio's season was superb. While nearly a third of her League-leading 16 goals came against the Suns, her movement around the ground and the way she brought her teammates into the game – often off limited or scrappy supply – was a vast improvement on her past few seasons.

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Darcy Vescio scary good in high-five performance

Carlton star forward Darcy Vescio sends another warning to the competition with a stunning outing, including a personal best of five goals

Star recruit: While she probably didn't have quite the on-field impact the Blues would have been hoping for, Elise O'Dea brought plenty to Carlton in her first season. Her versatility saw her playing across all three lines at various stages (including flipping ends each quarter at a windy RSEA Park) and the club raved about her off-field leadership and guidance of young players.

Unsung hero: Nicola Stevens had an outstanding season up forward, but seemed to slip under the radar of the wider AFLW world. She kicked a career-high nine goals (up from three in a shortened 2020) and averaged 10.1 disposals – higher than her best-and-fairest-winning season across half-back with Collingwood.

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Stevens soccers it through for her second

Nicola Stevens scores another major to further Carlton's lead

What worked:

- Coming into potentially a career-defining season, Abbie McKay returned to pre-season in excellent shape and earned a starting spot in round one, her first AFLW game since 2019. While her form dropped off in the final few rounds, she finished the season averaging 12 disposals (having twice recorded 17 touches).

- Jess Hosking was very much a "break in need of emergency" player in 2021, patching holes wherever she was required. In her first season without twin sister Sarah (now at Richmond), Hosking showed her dynamism in the midfield and while she didn't hit the scoreboard too often, caused chaos whenever she was forward of the footy. It was a smart move to release her from defence.

What needs improvement:

- There's no sugar-coating it, Carlton was the coaches' pre-season flag favourite and finished four points out of the top six. Without speedsters Chloe Dalton (rugby Olympic commitments) and Brooke Walker (seven-week foot injury), the Blues looked slow at times. Curiously, their statistics were good for the most part, but they conceded a total of 330 points, 64 more than sixth-place North Melbourne.

- Slow starts to games cost Carlton repeatedly in 2021. The Blues scored a cumulative 10.8 in their nine first quarters, 7.4 of which came in two consecutive games against Geelong and Fremantle. 

BEST AND FAIREST WRAP Who was your club champion?

Early call for 2022: The Blues aren't out of contention yet. Regaining Dalton – who finished second in their 2020 best and fairest – will be important, they've got a strong structure across the ground, but it remains to be seen exactly what happens with the out-of-contract Tayla Harris. Expect them to bounce back into finals next year.

Season rating: 5.5/10