Ben Camporeale’s second season at Carlton has been one of growth and resilience, with the young midfielder continuing to establish himself as an important piece of the Blues’ VFL setup.

Despite yet to make his AFL debut, the 19-year-old has been a consistent contributor for the Carlton Reserved as a tough inside midfielder.

Averaging over 25 disposals, four clearances and four tackles per game, Camporeale has played his part in the VFL Blues’ winning run, continuing to build momentum as one of the form teams in the state-league competition.

“We're in some good form: we're bringing the energy as a group, everyone's playing their role which is the fun part, and everyone's playing good footy,” Camporeale said.

“It’s a good space to be in. The boys are loving it, so we just keep building from here.” 

Camporeale was influential through the middle during the weekend’s win over the VFL reigning premier Footscray, particularly after Carlton lifted around stoppage in the second half.

After initially being credited with 20 disposals, his work in-tight was later acknowledged when the stat sheet updated, finishing with 31 possessions to go with 12 score involvements.

“We probably weren’t getting bang for buck out of centre bounce early in the third quarter, we picked it up and tried to change things around.

“We got on the front foot a bit more around stoppage. It was credit to the boys: everyone played their role and we shared the load.”

The strong run of form has seen confidence grow within the group, but Camporeale said the focus remained on continuing to improve week by week.

“It gives the group a lot of confidence going through the rest of the year,” he said.

“We’ve won five on the trot, but for the boys, we keep going through that process and keep taking a game at a time.

“It's in a better position than we were last year. We just keep building.”

Earlier this season, Camporeale faced a setback after suffering a concussion — something he admitted tested him despite only missing one week.

It could’ve been another setback for the young Blue, who battled illness plus suspension in his first campaign on 2025.

“It was a bit of a mental battle,” he said.

“I've never really been concussed, not for a little while at least. I was lucky it was only one week and got to work on my craft a bit.

“I've got great people around me, but I missed out on the Tassie win. To get back here with the boys and keep putting good footy together… I'm just lucky to have great blokes around me.”

Continuing to cast an eye towards personal improvement, Camporeale said he has been better off for another year in the Carlton environment.

“I'm a year more experienced into the system now, which helps,” he said.

“The game only gets faster, so I’ll keep working on my speed and my ball execution, which are probably the main two [focused).

“Im learning off ‘Crippa’ a bit, playing that inside mid role, and then it’s the confidence part as well.”

Now more settled physically and mentally in his second year at the club, Camporeale believes he is beginning to grow into his role as a contested midfielder.

“You go from playing under 18s, and you're a little scrawny kid coming up against men who have been in the system for ample years.

“I feel like I've grown in my body well, and I've put on a bit of size.

“I'm a strong inside midfielder I like to think, and don't mind getting my hands dirty, so the more games I get under my belt, the more experience I can get playing my role, which only helps the team.”

Carlton VFL Coach Damian Truslove said Camporeale’s influence was continuing to grow as the youngster focuses on developing his all-round game.

“Benny had a strong performance in the midfield. He got involved with a lot of our score involvements through winning territory with ball in hand, and he was very strong around stoppages,” Truslove said.

“It’s been a focus for him to get more involved in transition, with his ability to not only be an outstanding stoppage player but also to get the footy in transition — it’s improving.”

Bailey Walsh is a student at La Trobe University, undergoing his Bachelor of Media and Communications (Journalism and Marketing). He is currently undertaking an internship at the Carlton Football Club as part of its partnership with La Trobe University.