Carlton captain Brianna Davey loving life as AFLW footballer after heartbreaking Matildas axing

BRIANNA Davey was devastated on not being taken to the women’s World Cup with the Matildas. But now front and centre in her own professional code, Carlton’s AFLW captain wouldn’t change a thing.

BRIANNA Davey had been on soccer’s radar since she was a child.

At 13 she was part of the Australian junior set-up and a year later she was training with the Matildas. She played her first game for the senior national team at 16.

By 18 she had signed with Swedish team Linkopings FC.

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Davey’s career — her life, really — was set. She’d be wearing the gloves as a goalkeeper for her country for the next decade.

But a shock axing from the 2015 World Cup squad changed everything.

“I’d gone from playing as the No. 1 goalkeeper and with the World Cup they usually take away three goalkeepers and I didn’t even get selected in the three. I was obviously pretty devastated,” Davey said.

“I came back home and was like, OK, I need to have a mental refresh.

“I was always the type of person who I would say is pretty resilient. Although I was absolutely devastated I was like, OK, I can’t sit in my room and sulk. I’ve got to do something.

Brianna Davey in action in the W-League.

“I thought I’m not just going to go straight back to training soccer, that’s just going to drive me a bit crazy, so I thought ‘why not go back to footy?’

“I had heard about St Kilda Sharks, my sister (Steph) had played in another sport with a couple of the girls there (Penny Cula-Reid and Mia-Ray Clifford) so she took me down. I wouldn’t have gone if she hadn’t.”

That taste of footy again — Davey had played as a child — was the spark.

While she returned to soccer and Melbourne City where she won a W-League title in 2016 — “I wanted to prove to myself I could play soccer, I didn’t want what happened to me to be what defined me” — football was about to claim its first big cross-code scalp.

With AFLW licences awarded, Davey was again on recruiters’ radars. Carlton called very early on about a marquee spot and Davey made the switch for good.

“Initially, back when I started football, I was a little bit sceptical,” she said.

“I was like, is there really going to be a path? I was coming from quite an elite background and I was worried I wasn’t going to find that again.

Brianna Davey was a star in her first season and has been voted into the top job by her Carlton peers. Picture: Jason Edwards

“Now we’ve got this elite stage and competition, it’s just fantastic and for me, it ended up being the right move. I didn’t want to split myself. I wanted to put all of my energy into one sport. I’m absolutely loving it.”

Davey, 23, combines footy with study; she’s entering the third year of a bachelor of education degree.

She lives with her parents, Paula and Robert, and sisters, Steph, 26, and Holly, 20, in Port Melbourne. Brother Nathan, 27, is out of the nest.

There’s also three dogs and a cockatiel called Zazu, too.

“He’s really cool,” Davey said.

“He wolf whistles — usually when I walk past (laughs). No, but he does wolf whistle.”

Davey is full of love for her family. And her football club too.

People at Carlton say Davey is a good listener. She’s aware and interested in how her teammates are feeling. She knows what to say and when.

It’s that personality that saw her elevated to the captaincy this season, with first-year leader Lauren Arnell now her deputy.

Davey in action during the inaugural AFLW match. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Davey won the Blues’ inaugural best and fairest award despite missing a game through injury. She was named in the All-Australian back five and was the Herald Sun’s player of the year, edging out the formidable Erin Phillips.

On the field she’s a dynamo. A strong one-grab mark (perhaps nor surprising given her former sporting life) and great kick, she is also dashing and daring, setting up attack from defence. She will lead by example.

Davey’s happiness at the Blues is augmented because she gets to play alongside her partner, Tilly Lucas-Rodd.

They were together long before AFLW was created and Davey said it had been wonderful to share the historic birth of the league.

“Running out on the field together is awesome,” she said.

Davey is sharing her AFLW career with partner Tilly Lucas-Rodd. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis

“It’s pretty funny at times, if we’re trying to give each other feedback on the field and one’s going (makes a pointing gesture) and the other’s going ‘get stuffed’ sort of thing.

“I think sometimes some people find that a little bit hard to get right but I feel like me and Till have got the perfect balance.”

Davey watched avidly as the Matildas swept the Tournament of Nations in the US last July, downing the host nation, Brazil and Japan, and played in front of sold-out crowds in Australia later in the year.

She remains close with her former teammates, especially defender Steph Catley.

But she’s made her switch. Davey is a Blue now and she wouldn’t change a thing.

“It is my past, but it’s something I will never ever forget about,” Davey said.

“I’m super stoked with the move. “