SEVEN seasons on.
In 2016, Darcy Vescio became one of Carlton’s first marquee signings for the newly established national women’s league competition.
This season, Vescio became the first Carlton AFLW player to reach the 50-game milestone, a feat that had been achieved by just 11 others competition-wide at the time.
While their favourite movie may still be ‘Dirty Dancing,’ plenty has changed in both life and football for Vescio.
“I feel like this person had no idea what was about to happen and how much life was going to change,” Vescio said, reflecting on their football journey in the aflwomens’ series ‘Seven Seasons On.’
“Women’s footy was going to change footy as we knew it.”
While a young Vescio could identify that the imminent AFLW competition was going to change the football landscape forever, to just what extent was impossible to foresee.
“When I was playing footy when I was 14, I genuinely didn’t think I’d play footy again.
“I think of where I grew up, there were no opportunities for me to play past 14. Now, I look back and since then there’s a youth girls team running out at the club that I started at. Everywhere you look there are girls' and womens' teams.
“I just never imagined that my life would be anchored by footy, and it continues to be anchored by footy.”
Much like a 22-year-old Vescio hoped that the AFLW competition would create opportunities for women in football – both on and off the field – Vescio continues to hope that there’s still more change to come.
“It’s cool to think that there was a point where I didn’t know what AFLW would bring. But I’d still like to think that I don’t know, as well.
“I hope the AFLW continues to create opportunities for women and gender diverse people to thrive in the game.”
With an eye to the future, it brings comfort to Vescio that the women’s game isn’t going anywhere.
“When AFLW was brought in someone said ‘there will never be a time when AFLW does not exist now – it’s never going to be taken away.’
“Before we know it, it will be 2030 and we’ll be sitting down, having this conversation again.”
But looking back, they’re proud of where they’ve come from too.
“I’m proud of that person as well. It’s nice looking back,” they said.
“Hopefully I’ll be able to look back and know that I made the most out of my time.”
And another seven seasons from now?
“I couldn’t say where I see myself,” they said.
“Maybe playing. Maybe coaching. Maye being an artist somewhere in a little shed.”
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