CARLTON is well positioned with their ruck stocks heading into season seven.
Inaugural Blue Brea Moody and second-season Blue Jess Good have both signed on for another two seasons at Carlton, leaving the dynamic ruck duo intact.
Getting into a real rhythm at the back-end of the 2022 season, the rucks reciprocated the thoughts of one another in their desire to continuing the momentum into the upcoming season and hitting the scoreboard more consistently.
“I think ‘Goody’ and I started to develop a really good partnership rotating between ruck and forward,” Moody said.
“We’ll look to continue that and hopefully get some ruck goals on the board in each game.”
Good echoed the sentiment, noting that working alongside the All-Australian Moody has considerably helped fast track her development.
“I love rotating in the ruck with ‘Moods’. I feel like in the last couple of games, we started to click so much more and we were getting the hang of it,” Good said.
“I’m really excited to see how we go in this coming season because the more we play together, the more we’ll be able to jell and click and be better on-field as well as off.
“We did have a good second half to the season so having that short turnaround to continue that momentum run will be so important for us.”
Moody relished her first season being the go-to ruck, admitting it was always in her sights to step up and take the reins at some stage in her career.
The addition of Shaun Hampson as ruck coach helped Moody thrive, helping her work on her craft and confidence in the ruck position, as well as her aerial marking prowess which has always been a strength.
“I think I thrived off being the starting ruck, it’s been so good to have 'Goody' alongside me at training and to share the role with,” Moody said.
“I think I’ve really grown into the position and I think that’s where the coaching staff saw it going, to grow into that starting ruck role.
“I work very closely with Shaun Hampson who is our ruck coach and he’s staying on board, so I’m excited to keep working with him.
“Moving forward, hopefully I can push forward a little bit more and not only focus on my ruck craft but also taking some good marks and just doing whatever I can to help set the team up.”
On the flip side, Good is on the verge of her second season in the AFLW competition, having played eight games in her first run at the highest level.
Pleased with the way she has developed at IKON Park, Good said she doesn’t know how much she can push herself going forward, but can’t wait to find out.
“I think the beauty of starting so late with football is that I’m just continuing to develop – I’m just so excited to see where I can go with one season under my belt,” Good said.
“I’m just so excited to see what we can do and how I can develop individually as well.”
