Star Carlton forward Darcy Vescio calls for longer AFLW season after reaching historic 50-goal milestone

Darcy Vescio took until the sixth AFLW season to become the first footballer to kick 50 goals but dreams of someone achieving it in one year

Darcy Vescio wants the AFLW’s next 50-goal milestone to happen in a single season.

The trailblazing Carlton forward, who came out as non-binary in December, on Sunday became the competition’s first player to reach the mark, in their 47th career game and sixth season.

Vescio kicked the two goals they needed within five minutes of one another in the third quarter of the Blues’ 18-point defeat of the Giants, in Canberra, that kept alive their slim finals chances.

After a lean stretch to begin the season, the 28-year-old bobbed up to kick four goals across the past fortnight to win the goalkicking race over fellow stars Erin Phillips (46 goals) and Tayla Harris (44).

“It’s a bit of a funny one, because it’s one that’s built over many years,” they said.

Darcy Vescio is one of the AFLW’s best-known players. Picture: Dylan Burns

“It was something I was made aware of coming into the season and I sort of said that if you think about kicking goals, you don’t kick goals.

“The goals haven’t really flowed as easily this year, so I’m happy to get there.

“I think the ultimate goal is that players are kicking 50 goals in a season. I hope that we get to a point where there are enough games and support around players to be able to do that.”

Vescio has had a high profile since kicking four goals as one of Carlton’s marquee signings in the Blues’ historic victory over Collingwood in the first-ever AFLW match in 2017.

That fame has also afforded them a public platform – and, more importantly, a “safe place for people to be themselves – that they have used, among other things, to campaign for better conditions for AFLW footballers.

Darcy Vescio became the first player to kick 50 career goals in the AFLW competition. Picture: Dylan Burns

Vescio’s latest cause is pushing for a longer season that runs effectively in alignment with the AFL men’s calendar, starting in March rather than in summer.

“With 18 teams next (season), I would love to see a 17-game competition,” they said.

“Even playing 14 games is significantly different than 10, and 10 is different than seven, but I guess you want to be able to build form throughout a season.

“I think that’s where you will see bigger bags getting kicked and higher scoring and that sort of thing.”

Vescio said they found playing in the hotter months “tough” and players would relish getting their “summer back”.

Darcy Vescio wants to see a 17-game competition in the next AFLW season. Picture: Paul Kane

The two-time league-leading goalkicker, in 2017 and 2021, also believed there was no limit to how good AFLW players could be in a full-time environment.

“I feel like at the moment, a lot of the players are coming in exhausted to the club, and they feel like they’re giving everything they can and they’re only as good as how much time they can put into their craft,” Vescio said.

“I think about all the little things that we sort of miss out on, or that players are just too exhausted to be able to put in those extra things that make you a better player.

“I’m really looking forward to it. I can’t wait, even the next few years in building towards full-time. I think having an extra few hours or having the ability to drop to part-time work will make a huge difference as well.”

Originally published as Star Carlton forward Darcy Vescio calls for longer AFLW season after reaching historic 50-goal milestone