“I LOVE away trips. We love going on the plane and being in each other’s pockets for 72 hours.”
“… That’s not even sarcastic. I’m being genuine. It’s how much we love each other!”
It’s a big trip west for the Blues as they look to continue their winning start to the season, but it’s no surprise that Lila Keck and the playing group as a whole are taking it in their stride.
The connection of the playing group has been a hallmark of Carlton’s rise under Mathew Buck, coupled with an ever-growing appetite for hard work. It’s why that despite sitting at 2-0, the Blues are continuing to chase excellence and taking nothing for granted.
Keck is one of those players looking to help the Blues take the next step. Her second season at Carlton saw her make the jump from six games into year No.1 to 11 in year No.2, but missing out on the team’s finals campaign has been a source of personal motivation.
“Very hungry,” Keck told Carlton Media this week.
“It’s a fire in the belly, going into pre-season knowing what it was that had me out of the side and making sure that there’d hopefully be no reason for that to occur again. Should we get there again, I’ve got the fire in the belly to not miss out again.
“Thing is, shit happens in footy.”
Well said, Lila.
Maybe that’s the perfect reason for Carlton to approach things the way they have. Establishing a solid defensive foundation in Buck’s first two years as coach, the Blues have made no secret of their desire to add offensive flair to the game since the beginning of last season.
One of the most watchable teams in the competition, the Blues have made it a focus to play a brand of footy that makes fans want to watch them in action.
“It might even be more fun to watch than it is to play. When you’re playing it’s super exciting, but it’s also super fast and can be exhausting!
“Changing angles and making sure the game isn’t boring, not boring to play in and not boring to watch. The fans are who you play for, they’re the ones that hang over the fence and cheer for you.”
Footy is meant to be fun, after all - even at the elite level. And for Keck, there’s not much more fun than playing up forward with an icon of the game.
“Playing with Darcy Vescio in the forward line, I don’t even know how to describe it. It’s just calming.
“They have so much knowledge and experience, their game awareness is second to none. In terms of feeling confident and knowing they’re there, they’re going to give you their best but also be exciting, you can feed off that.
“Selfishly, I wish they weren’t so versatile and they can stay forward for just a little bit longer!”
Keck and the Blues return to WA for the clash with Walyalup, with their last trip to Perth as memorable as they come.
Keeley Sherar kicked the winning goal with a minute to play that day, while Keck kicked the first goal of her career from the goal square.
“We have a bit of a gag going on at the moment that the last time I played in Perth, in my first year, the double cobra came out.
“I might have to reunite with the double cobra in the goal square at some point.
“To this point, I’ve been proud and also excited by my pre-season... It’s a long six months, but I feel like I’m playing with some freedom and playing with a great bunch of teammates that allow me to thrive.”
