Why Hawthorn Hawks VFLW and Darwin Buffettes star Dom Carbone isn’t giving up on AFLW
EXCLUSIVE: ‘I’m here to help Buffettes win a flag’. Why Hawthorn and Buffettes star Dom Carbone is not giving up on her AFLW dream.
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STAR Darwin Buffettes midfielder Dom Carbone is too humble to say that she was disappointed to miss out on being picked up by an AFLW club during last month’s draft.
But she will do everything in her power to make it impossible for teams to ignore her credentials in the future.
The 19-year-old is fresh from an impressive VFLW campaign with Hawthorn, regularly getting over 10 disposals and coming up with a handful of tackles every game.
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It prompted Buffettes captain Kylie Duggan to say she deserved to be picked up by an AFLW club, and plenty at the Darwin club and within the NTFL voiced their agreement on social media.
“Dom still works so hard on and off the track,” Duggan said.
“Unfortunately, she didn’t get picked up this year, but she deserves to be there.
“With the AFLW to include Hawthorn, hopefully that gives her more of a chance of playing at that level.
“She’s a great player and she deserves every opportunity which comes her way.”
Now back in the Top End and in a pre-season with Buffettes, while also starring for Lightning in the Darwin Basketball Association, Carbone will not lack any motivation as she strives to play at the elite level. “I do worry about that stuff (playing in the AFLW) but now that I’m back with the Buffettes I’m not going to go around saying I want to play in the AFLW,” she said.
“I’m here to help out my teammates now, and hopefully bring what I’ve learnt from the VFLW to the NTFL. I want to do all I can to help young and aspiring professional players in Darwin achieve their dreams.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given at the Hawks, and to keep working on my craft down there, develop my game and kick some goals.
“It’s such a fast, structured competition, the VFLW. It’s a whole different level.
“It’s all a process for me. If it (playing in the AFLW) happens, it happens.
“I’ll go back to the drawing board now and keep working hard.”
Carbone was delighted to see Ashanti Bush – who won under-18 premierships at Darwin alongside Carbone – get picked up at No.8 by Gold Coast in the 2021 AFLW Draft.
And Carbone believes there is at least a handful of other young Buffettes capable of shining at the elite level.
“I can see plenty of our juniors going on to bigger and better things, like Kiera Kurnoth, Molly Althouse, Erica Kurnoth and Abi (Sekitoga),” she said. “They’re coming through a great program and there’s a rich culture of success at Buffettes.”
Carbone is also delighted to be back with Lightning, who she has helped win the past three DBA women’s titles.
“It’s just so fun playing in that team and I missed it,” she said.
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