A promising start to the 2024 season didn’t transpire into a second-consecutive finals appearance for Carlton in a season plagued by inconsistency.
BY THE NUMBERS
Position: 9th
W-L-D %: 5-9 (89.0%)
Players used: 57
Played every match: 3 – Hannah Bowey, Sophia McCarthy, Eliza Wood
AFLW players used: 24 (85 matches)
Debutants: 22 – Isla Baldwin, Isabella Caminiti, Steph Demeo, Jemmika Douglas, Paige Duffy, Dayna Finn, Matilda Fitzgerald, Alexis Gregor, Zoe Hargreaves, Mimi Hill, Simone Mooney, Amelie Moore, Isabella Parnell, Layla Prince, Holly Ridewood, Meg Robertson, Ellie Sbeghen, Hannah Scott, Mel Staunton, Jemma Stokes, Amy Trindade, Asha Turner-Funk
STAR PERFORMERS
Best and Fairest: 1st: Eliza Wood, 2nd: Isla Baldwin and Keeley Sherar, 4th: Octavia Di Donato
Lambert-Pearce Medal votes: Eliza Wood (6), Mimi Hill (4) Mia Austin (3), Octavia Di Donato (3), Lily Goss (3), Maddy Guerin (3), Georgia Tait (3)
Coaches MVP votes: Maddy Guerin (19), Keeley Sherar (19), Mimi Hill (17)
Leading Goal Kickers: Sophia McCarthy (9), Mia Austin (6), Eliza Wood (6), Georgia Tait (6)
STAT LEADERS
(Averages – Minimum 6 matches)
Disposals: Maddy Guerin 18.8, Keeley Sherar 18.7, Isla Baldwin 16.1
Contested possessions: Keeley Sherar 10.7, Maddy Guerin 10.3, Simone Mooney 8.0
Kicks: Keeley Sherar 11.0, Maddy Guerin 10.8, Octavia Di Donato 10.4
Handballs: Maddy Guerin 8.0, Keeley Sherar 7.7, Isla Baldwin 7.6, Meg Robertson 7.6
Marks: Mia Austin 3.8, Eliza Wood 2.9, Keeley Sherar 2.9
Tackles: Keeley Sherar 7.6, Izzy Khoury 5.2, Eliza Wood 4.7
Hitouts: Jemma Stokes 19.2, Emily Hurley 18.5, Mia Austin 0.8
Clearances: Keeley Sherar 5.0, Maddy Guerin 4.2, Simone Mooney 3.6
Inside-50s: Maddy Guerin 3.8, Keeley Sherar 3.4, Emily Hurley 2.7
Rebound-50s: Octavia Di Donato 2.8, Asha Turner-Funk 1.9, Hannah Bowey 1.7
What went right: The signs were promising when the Blues comfortably won in Geelong in Round 1 and then pushed an AFLW-standard Giants in Round 3. There was also a win over reigning premier Port Melbourne to tuck away in the kitbag. Maddy Guerin made an outstanding return from a knee reconstruction and Octavia Di Donato earned herself an AFLW contract with West Coast.
What went wrong: After making the second week of the finals last year, the Blues would be disappointed with how this year panned out. Two of the five wins came against wooden spooner Geelong and two more came when their own team was stacked with AFLW talent.
Summary: Consistency was an issue early in the season, with some quality performances showing what they were capable of interspiced with some disappointing losses that left them realistically out of the race early on. They are better than that and it definitely wouldn’t surprise to see this be a single-season.
Grade: 4/10
2024 REBEL VFL REVIEWS
Darebin Falcons
Southern Saints
Geelong Cats
GWS Giants
Sydney Swans