Dom Carbone wins VFLW best and fairest, revealing her future hopes
Fresh off winning the VFLW league best-and-fairest, star Western Bulldog midfielder Dom Carbone has revealed what she’s aiming for next and why she’s eyeing off an AFLW return.
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A second AFLW chance remains a goal for Dom Carbone but she says there’s so much more to her footy.
The Northern Territory product and Western Bulldogs captain claimed the Lambert-Pearce medal on Monday night to remind everyone why she’s one of the country’s best state league products.
Carbone was part of Hawthorn’s inaugural AFLW debut season in 2022 before playing two games as a top up for the Dogs last year.
After being declared the VFLW’s best player with 17 votes from 14 votes, she’s ready for the next stage of her career.
“I think that’s always a goal,” she said.
“I think for me, it’s more prioritising the goals of how I can be the best version of myself and put my best foot forward.
“And really just enjoying my footy and making sure that I’m being the best version of me. It’s just putting one step in front of the other, and really just trying to get better one day at a time.”
With the outlook of next year’s VFLW season still unclear, there’s a possibility she pulls on the boots in the NTFL this season.
Carbone is a product of the Darwin Buffettes and last played during the 2022-23 season.
“I’m really hoping to go home and play a few games for the Buffettes,” she said.
“Watch this space.”
Carbone shared the stage at Crown Palladium with Dom Brew, a former winner of the Nichols medal and Buffaloes player.
Brew took out the J.J Liston Trophy as the VFL’s best player.
Carbone recalled a conversation with Brew at the same awards night 12 months ago.
“He actually played alongside my partner and he was somebody we were able to look up to,” Carbone said.
“He came up to Darwin and you could see those professional standards and the way he was able to model his game. It’s quite an exceptional story we both won the medal on the same night.”
The Dogs enjoyed a double dose of success on Monday night with Keeley Hardingham taking out the VFLW rising star award.
In her first season with the Dogs, the 20-year-old earned a place in the Team of the Year alongside Carbone and teammate Jaimi Tabb.
“Keeley’s come in leaps and bounds and is a superstar of her own,” Carbone said.
“I just can’t wait to see the development of her, and I really hope to see her on an AFLW list within the next season.
“I think she’s got exceptional potential, and I really hope that the right people feed into that.”
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