AHEAD of the Carlton Reserves Round 19 clash against Frankston, 22-year-old captain Heath Ramshaw took a moment to reflect on his time in the Navy Blue leading into his 50th game.
Growing up in Melbourne, Heath was no stranger to the bright lights of IKON Park. Arriving as an 18-year-old from the Northern Knights in 2021, he was labelled as an emerging talent by coaches early in his Blues' journey.
Since then, Ramshaw has become one of the Reserves' most consistent and reliable players, playing his first game for the Blues in Round 10 of 2022.
“It was super to put it [the jumper] on for the first time," Ramshaw said.
"Knowing how much is behind the monogram at the front, the meaning and playing for the Blues – I was really proud."
With power and competitiveness being a trademark of his game, he has featured heavily throughout his last three seasons and re-signed at the end of 2024, eager to continue his momentum.
Now, he is closing in on his 50th game in the Navy Blue, and he hasn’t looked back.
“I’m just excited," he said.
"It’s pretty cool to have played 50 games at this club. I’ve loved every second of it.”
Four years and 49 games into his journey, for some, the novelty may have worn off – however, on the verge of his half century, he says it still feels as special as his very first.
“It hasn’t worn off at all, I look forward to it every week," he admitted.
"Whenever I walk off I can’t wait to get back on and pull on the jumper. The more you play, the more it grows on you.”
After multiple seasons at IKON Park, for Ramshaw it has become a second home; however, that wasn’t always the case.
"Reflecting on his first impression, he admitted that stepping into the club for the first time was daunting.
“We did a couple of sessions here early, and I was on my heels a bit. Obviously, it’s such a big club with heaps of history and being amongst it was somewhat new to me.”
With the Reserves taking on the fifth-placed Frankston this Saturday night, it is a must-win for the Blues to keep their finals hopes alive.
Despite expressing his excitement with the significant personal achievement - like a true leader - the 22-year-old has put his own interests aside and kept his mind on the job.
“I’ve thought about the 50 a little bit, but I’m just going to go out there and play footy just like every other game.”
Coming into the 2025 season, Ramshaw was appointed the co-captaincy of the Carlton Reserves with good friend and long-time teammate Liam McMahon.
However, with McMahon picked up by the Essendon Bombers in the midseason draft, it left Ramshaw to manage the load by himself.
Following the pair's appointment to the role at the beginning of the year, Ramshaw said he was “absolutely stoked.”
When asked recently whether anything had changed after losing his counterpart, he stated, “to be completely honest, not really.”
“Being co-captain was obviously very cool and something unique to both of us. We loved it and our ability to bounce off each other was pretty cool, but I feel like the load will still be the same.
"I was loving captaining the boys with him, and I think I’ll love it just as much being a solo captain. It’s something I’m going to enjoy very much.”
It was back in Round 11 that the pair faced off, only a week after McMahon was picked up by the Bombers.
Speaking on what it was like coming up against his ex-teammate for the first time, Ramshaw was full of praise for his mate.
“Honestly, when I saw him before the game, my first response was just how proud I am of him. He’s put in a mountain of work and it’s good to see its paid off for him," he said.
“It was funny... It was very different seeing him in the Essendon kit."
Contributing as a key part of the Reserves 2025 campaign so far, the mid-forward took a moment to reflect on his own season.
Highlighted by his 25 disposals and a goal against North Melbourne in Round 4, Ramshaw is having a career-best season at the Blues, averaging 18 disposals and five tackles.
When asked about his own game, he delivered a humble response.
“I feel like I just want to play in the present, not worry about too much in the future or the past," he said.
"I think being in the moment is something I’ve tried to work on a lot - and coming in with that mindset has compounded into my footy.”
