Defender and Carlton Respects ambassador Harriet Cordner has been named a 2026 AFLW Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award finalist. 

Carlton Respects, one of the Club’s longest-standing initiatives, celebrated 10 years in 2026 of working to prevent violence against women and championing gender equality. 

Cordner, a former primary school teacher, has contributed more than 300 hours to the Club’s Road to Respect program, which aims to empower students to build knowledge and skills that lead to a brighter, kinder, more connected future. 

Her advocacy for Carlton Respects has helped generate more than 21 million impressions through powerful awareness-raising campaigns during her time at Carlton. 

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Respect, it's up to us | 10 years of Carlton Respects

2026 is a special year for Carlton Respects, where we celebrate the initiative’s 10-year anniversary. A decade of impact that we are proud of. We celebrate our achievements, thank the people and stories that have shaped our purpose, and direct our focus on the next 10 years of impact.

Using her platform to kickstart conversations in the classroom that didn’t previously exist, Cordner - in her role as Senior Road to Respect Facilitator - is a genuine role model of respect both on and off the field. 

Building authentic connections with the students, Cordner has embraced and elevated the Carlton Respects initiative ever since becoming a Blue, energising young people in the classroom to practice respectful behaviours, challenge gender stereotypes and communicate with kindness. 

Her involvement extends beyond the football field and the classroom, serving as a powerful, leading spokesperson for the program to ensure Carlton Respects delivers a lasting, wide-reaching impact. 

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Carlton Respects panel discussion

Tarang Chawla chaired a Carlton Respects discussion with Harriet Cordner and Safe Steps Group Director Suzanne Paynter.

Each year, the AFL and AFLW teams play in the Carlton Respects Games, which uses the power of football to raise awareness of violence against women and to raise funds for the Carlton Respects initiative.  

If you wish to support Carlton Respects please click here to donate today. Or get your local primary school involved in our Road to Respect program here.  

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800respect.org.au. If you, a child, or another person is in immediate danger, call 000.Â