SHE’S seen it all.

Literally.

When the AFLW competition began on that incredible weekend in February 2017, Harriet Cordner was there.

Just like she was there for a first-season delisting at the Dees, a trade to Richmond at the end of 2020, missing two seasons in one year through injury and leaving a legacy at Carlton that will see her celebrated on Sunday afternoon.

A leader of the football club and a favourite of the competition, Cordner is as respected as they come and playing career-best football, named as an All Australian for the first time in 2025.

In her own words, here’s how Harriet Cordner reflects on her AFLW story leading into game No.75… which she admits she hadn’t really given much thought until receiving well wishes around the football club.

“Everyone at the Club has been making it very feel exciting, because I hadn’t really thought about it being any different before that to be honest.

“I’ve had some really nice messages already from some people, everyone at the Club is making me feel really special about it.”

Signing with Melbourne

“I was a Category B rookie, I came across from soccer. I think that speaks to how far the competition has come, that somebody who had never played the sport was playing as an inside mid. It quickly changed, I moved to the back line pretty soon after.”

Game No.1: Melbourne v Brisbane, Round 1 2017

“That game, I can’t even put into words how far the competition has come from there - from a resources point of view, from the way the competition is structured, from the way it feels to be an athlete in the competition. I also can’t put into words how I’ve evolved as a player over that period.

“I lined up in the midfield against Brisbane that day and I had absolutely zero idea what I was doing. A lot has happened since then in those 10 years. The competition has completely involved, and as a footballer I’ve completely evolved too.”

Being delisted - and re-listed - after year one:

“It was a list decision, I might not have the details completely accurate but I think you could only retain a certain amount of people and had to get rid of a certain amount of people at the end of each year. At the time, in Melbourne’s eyes, I was right on the cusp.

“We had a conversation around we’ll get rid of you but we’ll redraft you. Naturally, I wasn’t overly happy with that so I had a conversation with another club. It all worked out in the end.

“It was a bit around where I was at from a form point of view at the time, they were wondering what type of player I would become and I was still trying to figure myself out and learn the game.”

The decision to leave the Dees:

“My decision to leave Melbourne was centred around I felt I was playing a particular role at Melbourne, and I wanted to evolve as a footballer. There was also part of me that wanted to write my own story, that I felt I was carrying a bit of expectation from my family connection to Melbourne and maybe I needed to spread my wings a little bit.

“It was a big family decision to leave, because I couldn’t tell you anyone in my family who doesn’t support Melbourne.”

The trade to the Tigers:

“I felt the move to Richmond was the right one, in terms of what they needed. I absolutely got that out of my time at Richmond, getting a lot more freedom to play a bit more of an intercept role and to bring my read of the play and athleticism to fly at the footy.”

An ill-timed injury:

“I unfortunately did my ACL in my second season at Richmond, which was the year they changed the seasons, so I ended up missing a lot of footy in that 12-month period - just after I felt I started to find my feet a little bit after making the All-Australian squad for the first time.

“I think it was something like 586 days out of playing by the end of it. I found it really difficult, because I just felt like I hit my straps. I had a fair bit of time on the sidelines to think about what I wanted to do next.”

Arriving at the Blues:

“At the time, Carlton had just finished the review and I was really well aware that Carlton had done the work in looking internally to figure out what was going wrong.

“When I met with Carlton, there wasn’t even a coach yet, but I was really confident that the Club was willing to look inside themselves and do the work. You wouldn’t do all that work and uncover everything if you weren’t going to come out of the other side and do it better.

“I signed with Carlton without a coach, and for the people who know me would know that’s a pretty big move - I tend to like to have the information in front of me first. A week after I signed, it was announced ‘Bucky’ was going to be the coach and everything felt into place pretty quickly.”

What Carlton has given her on the field:

“I’ve been provided the opportunity and space to be the player I always felt like I could be. On top of that, the experience I’ve had over the last 18 months, we’ve been slowly building this program and the culture within it that really relishes having fun but also working hard and getting better and being a high-performing athlete.

“That’s part of what I love about being a footballer. The program I’m in allows me to enjoy what I’m doing, but also put my head down and go to work which is the balance of what I love to do.”

What Carlton has given her off the field:

“When I came to Carlton, I probably underestimated how big a football club it is and how much of an impact that can have, being part of the biggest football club in the land with the most passionate supporter base. My experience within the football club, whether it’s Carlton IN Business or of course Carlton Respects, I have a passion for education and I’ve found myself in this space where that was an opportunity I could explore.

"It’s something I’m so passionate about, it’s something that I love, and it’s something I love doing alongside my footy - that I get to be both a teacher and a footballer at the same time. I love that Carlton puts its energy into a cause like Carlton Respects, it’s an incredible cause and I feel so proud to be part of.

Game No.75: Carlton v Adelaide, Round 2 2026

“I’m so glad it’s a home game. It’s so cool it’s our first home game of the season, playing against a team like Adelaide which Carlton had that historic game with over at Adelaide Oval with a crowd of 50,000. Adelaide has been a stalwart of the competition since the beginning.

“All of those things - even ‘Pitto’ plays his milestone on the same weekend, we do a lot of work together with Carlton Respects - it feels like all the stars have aligned for this.”