THE CARLTON Football Club is excited to announce its AFLW leadership group for Season 8.

Kerryn Peterson will captain the side for the fifth season after being appointed at the end of 2019, initially as co-captain for two seasons and will now enter 2023 as sole captain for the third consecutive season. Peterson is an extremely well-respected member of the side, finishing as the Blues’ Player’s Player of the Year in season 6.

Reigning best and fairest winner Mimi Hill has been promoted to the co-vice captaincy alongside Jess Dal Pos, while inaugural Game Changers Darcy Vescio and Breann Moody, as well as young midfielder Abbie McKay complete the six-player leadership group.

Dal Pos remains as co-vice captain for the second consecutive season, while Hill has been elevated to a new leadership position. Both players have an extensive resume with Dal Pos previously named in the All-Australian side and Hill the rising star in season six.

After co-vice captaining the side in 2022, Vescio has made the selfless decision to provide a younger leader in Hill the opportunity to step in as vice-captain. Vescio will still play an active role in driving the direction of the playing group, nurturing the next wave of emerging leaders coming through.

Moody will continue her role in the leadership group while McKay, a rising star amongst the team and last season's runner-up best and fairest, will enter the leadership group for the first time. Both players exhibiting a dedication to high performance that will be the centrepiece for the Blues’ AFLW program moving forward.

Head of AFLW Ash Naulty said the role of the leadership group this year would be especially vital as the program steps into a new era.

“The leaders appointed in 2023 have the perfect mix of experience and knowledge to guide and lead our program,” said Naulty.

“They are passionate about driving open and honest discussions within the team, providing each player with a voice and making sure we are uncompromising in establishing what we want to stand for as a football club.

The Club has also recruited Belinda Clark, former captain of the Australian cricket team, to work alongside the leadership group and support their development throughout the season.

“When we set about establishing this new era for our AFLW program, we wanted to make sure we created an environment that gave our players every tool they needed to maximise their abilities, and investing in our leadership development with Belinda on board is a big part of that,” Naulty said.

“We have identified a real opportunity over the last few months to build leadership capability and density within the group. We have brought Belinda in to help us do just that, adding another layer to our high-performance environment.

“Belinda will help establish strong foundations that will not only benefit the team this season but set our playing group up to drive the required standards for years to come.”

Carlton 2023 AFLW Leadership Group

Kerryn Peterson – Captain

Jess Dal Pos – Co-Vice Captain

Mimi Hill – Co-Vice Captain

Darcy Vescio 

Breann Moody

Abbie McKay