AS POPULAR a milestone as you’ll ever see.

When Carlton runs out on IKON Park on Saturday, Lily Goss will do so in Navy Blue for the 50th time, becoming the ninth player in the Blues’ AFLW history to do so.

Bringing up her half-century at the elite level for the Blues, Goss has been an ever-present at Carlton since 2022, when she was recruited out of the Club’s VFLW program to now become a key cog in the team today.

Two players who know her well just happen to be the captain and vice captain of the football club, Abbie McKay and Mimi Hill. They sat down with Carlton Media earlier in the week to heap praise on a key milestone.

50 games for Lily Goss this week… what instantly comes to mind when you think about her journey to this milestone?

Abbie McKay: “She’s had a great journey. She started a little bit later in that she wasn’t an under-18 draftee, she had to come the long way - the Carlton VFLW way. Since she’s come here, she’s flourished. She’s so happy to take any role, which people really admire. She probably hasn’t tagged as much this year as she has previously, but she deserves a bit more credit for her ability to tag someone but also play her own game at the same time.”

Mimi Hill: “I’ve had maybe seven people say to me this week ‘Wait, hasn’t ‘Gossy’ already played 50 games?’. She’s just that type of player, she gets it done week in, week out. It feels like she’s played 100 games, because she’s so good on the details and such a good role player.”

Tell us about your connection with ‘Gossy’.

MH: ”Lily and I went to the same school, she’s a few years above me. She was my first ever footy captain, which is pretty cute. I definitely looked up to her a lot, so it’s pretty nice to come full circle. We won a few premierships together at school, we played club footy together in the VAFA for Old Scotch and won a flag there as well. Hello, flags for days! Obviously we’re going to win one together at Carlton as well. She’s my girl.”

AM: ”I actually can’t remember meeting her! She was in America when she was drafted, so we didn’t meet her when she was drafted - she was in the VFLW program so we had met beforehand, it wasn’t a brand new meeting. Nowadays, we’re great friends. We drive in together to the airport and games, she comes over to my family’s house to sauna with Soph every second day so I go to that as well. I love having her as a friend and someone to have to chat to and vent to about life.”

How would you describe what Lily Goss means to the group, both on and off the field?

AM: ”On the field, she’s so determined to play her role. She’s a great example for younger people, you don’t have to be getting the most touches to be a great player. She’s really demonstrated that playing your role is so important: we value Lily Goss just as much as we value Ronnie. They play different roles, and she does hers so well.”

MH: “Warrior. She’s just a warrior, don’t you reckon? She puts her body on the line for us so much. I also think people underestimate her ability once she has ball-in-hand, she’s a very skilful player. We know how hard she works, so when she gets those moments for herself, we’re pretty pumped up.”

AM: “Off the field, she’s always curious and asking questions. She’s a great example of it being okay to ask a question and not know the answer, to be inquisitive and create a safe space.”

MH: “She’s head down, bum up. She just gets the job done. She has  a really dry sense of humour that not many people know about. If you get to know that side of her, you’re lucky. A lucky little ducky.”

From a footballing sense, how pivotal has she been to allow both of you to do what you do on game day?

MH: ”She does, but I also love when she has the ball because she’s really creative - that probably doesn’t get spoken about enough. But some of the body work she does around stoppages, she’s so strong for her size and will open up spaces for us to work in or shut down a dangerous player from the opposition which lets us do our thing. I’m very grateful for her.”

AM: “She takes the hardest player off us every week. Everyone has a role in the team, and she plays hers so well. None of us can do our role without the other, she’s definitely a good example of that. Thanks for taking the hardest player every week, ‘Gossy’.”

Does every team need a Lily Goss?

MH: ”Every team needs several Lily Gosses. One on every line.”

AM: ”Everyone loves Lil, she’s such a great person. Everyone can go up and have a chat to her, she’s pretty honest when she needs to be which I like about her. She’s the heart and soul, she’s in and under - not just on the field, but off the field as well. She has a crack with anything.”

MH: “When we played against the Hawks, we were calling her Lily Goose, because it was wet-weather footy. We went to a school clinic somewhere and they all thought her name was Lily Goose - I have not let it go. I love it. Maybe put her head on a goose or something. Do you keep the beak? I don’t know.”

What do you love most about Lily Goss, the player?

AM: “I love her speed. I think people underestimate how fast she is, her ability to break out of a stoppage or push forward and kick a goal - a lot of people talk about Keeley and Ronnie, but Lily is up there. I also love a good forward handball, and she’s always there to take it.”

MH: “She’s never out of it. She’ll scrap her way to win a one-on-one, it’s ridiculous. Her Round 1 goal when she got through like 16 players and was like ‘I got this’… I was screaming.”

What do you love most about Lily Goss, the person?

AM: “She’s really kind. She has a really good heart and always wants the best for people, she’ll sacrifice something herself to make someone else feel better.”

MH: “She is a real chatter. Once you get her going, Lily Goss loves a chat. If you ever get the chance to get in a really deep convo with Lily Goss, you’re a lucky duck. A lucky goose.”

Three words to describe Lily Goss.

AM: “Curious. Resilient. Sacrificial.”

MH: “Determined. Humorous. Feisty. She’s got a bit of fire in her.”