Darcy Vescio column: How distant dream to play in an AFLW grand final became a true blue reality with Carlton

Carlton star Darcy Vescio says playing in an AFLW grand final seemed a distant dream as recently as four years ago. She’s still pinching herself the Blues have a shot at glory.

Darcy Vescio of the Blues (centre) celebrates with teammates in the Carlton rooms after a win. Picture: Hamish Blair.

Playing in the AFLW grand final might seem like I’m living the dream but I’m not. For me, playing in a grand final at AFL level was never a realistic dream.

Four years ago I still didn’t think it was possible.

It wasn’t until mid-2015, when Gillon McLachlan said AFL Women’s was coming that I allowed myself to think it was within reach — that’s when I start getting excited about things.

Even when I think about playing on Sunday, I’m excited but I’m not too excited yet and I won’t be until Saturday night.

Darcy Vescio marks strong during a VWFL game for Darebin Falcons. Picture: Quinn Rooney.

The thought of competing in the big one on Sunday has jumped in and out of my mind this week. It doesn’t seem real. This is definitely the biggest game I’ve ever had the opportunity to play in.

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But it doesn’t feel like grand final time — we’ve only played eight games and yet here we are with the opportunity to win the premiership.

“There’s always next week” is one of the great football cliches. But my favourite thing about Grand Finals is that there is no next week.

It’s still hard to fathom what we’re part of and what we’re creating. It’s amazing how far things have come — it’s actually hard to explain — and I know some people are probably thinking we’ve heard this before.

But being in this moment has made me, and probably most of my teammates, sit back and reflect on our personal journeys and how we’ve got to this point.

Darcy Vescio takes a hanger for the Western Bulldogs during a women’s exhibition match. Picture: Michael Klein.

I remember when the AFL, back in 2013, announced the first women’s exhibition match would be played between Melbourne and Western Bulldogs, I didn’t think it was a big deal. I didn’t even know what it was to be honest and I didn’t realise what it would become.

We had to self-nominate for the draft and I left my application late. On the morning of the draft I hadn’t received an invite to attend and was curious as to whether my nomination had been received.

I emailed the AFL and was informed it hadn’t — there was a mix up with the post — so I wasn’t eligible to be drafted but was told to “please come along with your mates”.

Darcy Vescio, Brooke Walker and Chloe Dalton of the Blues celebrate a goal. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

Darcy Vescio nails a goal for Carlton during its run to the AFLW grand final. Picture: Mike Owen/Getty Images.

I was cut. By this stage I knew it was something special and I wanted to be part of it.

It’s fair to say I was very proactive the following year and made sure I got my application in early — I emailed the AFL three weeks before the cut-off date to request a form.

I was drafted with pick No. 3 by the Bulldogs and it’s crazy, sitting here now, thinking I’m about to play in an AFLW Grand Final for Carlton.

Some people never get to play in Grand Finals and this could be the first and last AFLW Grand Final I get to play in, so I want to appreciate it for what it is and be able to take it all in and reflect on all the little things that have happened along the way that have led to this point.

Once the siren sounds on Sunday, you’re in it and it’s frantic and it’s stressful, there’ll be pressure everywhere and there’s no time to think about anything else.

Darcy Vescio has praised the impact of first-year Blues coach Daniel Harford. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

In 10, 20 or 50 years I want to look back and know I fully lived this moment.

We’ve come so far as a team and as a club in last 12 months after finishing with the wooden spoon last year. So how have things changed so quickly?

We entered this season with a fresh perspective on what we wanted to achieve. Of course we wanted to go as far as we could, but ultimately, we wanted to improve each week and develop the way we handled ourselves in pressure situations.

The AFLW season is short and if you get off to a bad start or have a bad few weeks, your season can slip away. It means AFLW teams aren’t necessarily in need of a complete rebuild if they don’t have a ‘successful’ season. Sometimes just tweaking a few positions and refocusing on how you want to structure up can be the difference.

‘Harf’ (new coach Daniel Harford) has also had a huge influence. I didn’t know much about him before he stepped in, except my dad told me he was a very good player.

When I met him he seemed like he knew what he was doing. We sat down, spoke about what had happened last year and how the girls were feeling and where we felt our biggest strengths were.

What has struck me most is his innate ability to seem comfortable in almost any situation. Whether we’re up or down, having an average night on the track or a tough conversation, he approaches everything very openly and wants to know how we’re feeling. He’s not afraid to ask the group uncomfortable questions. He doesn’t shy away from the elephant in the room.

I think his approach to working with us has allowed us to learn from last year and acknowledge that growth can happen only when you’re ready for it.

The all-conquering Adelaide will be a formidable opponent and enters the AFLW grand final as flag favourite.

Adelaide go into Sunday as heavy favourites and rightly so. They’ve been the dominant team all season and have shown the competition they’re capable of tearing teams apart.

They’ve got strong team belief that even when they’re down they’re able to turn things around — something we experienced in Round 2.

The Crows have a fierce group led by Stevie-Lee Thompson, Courtney Cramey, Erin Phillips, Ebony Marinoff and Chelsea Randall and have good players all over the ground. They’re a well-drilled team.

Although it feels like we’re trying to tackle a giant I couldn’t be looking forward to it more. I love the idea of entering enemy territory with a one-eyed crowd and just doing everything we can to win.

Whichever way the game plays out, I’m really proud of what my team has achieved this season, how we’ve represented our club and the new wave of women becoming part of the fabric of Carlton.

Up the ‘Baggers!