ON THE eve of the 2021 NAB AFL Women's Draft, last year’s draftees Mimi Hill and Daisy Walker spoke about their experience from 2020. 

The 2021 draft will be conducted virtually, as was the 2020 draft, and will be a nerve-wracking but exciting night for the newest batch of Game Changers, according to last year’s draftees. 

“Every time they called out someone else's name, I was so nervous waiting for my turn, then it finally happened,” Walker said. 

“You’re with your family and you’re sitting there so excited and when your name gets called out, it’s honestly the best thing ever,” Hill said. 

Both girls conceded that once you get drafted, the love comes pouring in faster than they could receive it, especially if you have a private Instagram. 

“They’ll probably get a call from 'Harf' (Daniel Harford) pretty quickly, so you gotta answer that one, you want to talk to the coach!

"The captain will call you, 'Kez' (Kerryn Harrington), and you want to pick that one up as well. 

“Instagram goes off so there will be a lot of notifications, the whole team will share your little picture and that’s really exciting. You might want to make your instagram account public: I don’t know if you’re into that but you’ll get a lot of follow requests.” 

Getting to the Club for the first time was intimidating, but once the girls got stuck into training with their respective lines, they started to feel right at home. 

If all goes well, the 2021 draftees will be able to get into IKON Park soon, pending the Victorian lockdown ending on Tuesday night. 

“It was pretty surreal: it was such an inviting environment, everyone was so welcoming,” Walker said. 

“It was really scary at the start but the first time you meet the staff and they’re so welcoming and everyone is so great, the vibe at Carlton is so amazing,” Hill said. 

Both Hill and Walker were lucky enough to make their debut in the 2020 season, both managing six games for the Blues. 

“It’s something you dream of and I didn’t think I’d get a chance this year to run out with the girls but when the opportunity came up, I just grabbed it with both hands and took it,” Walker said. 

“Until you get your first touch it’s so scary but then you get into it and it’s amazing,” Hill said. 

Hill noted that she wanted to take extra care of the newest Game Changers, like her teammates did for her when she first arrived at the Club. 

"I know how people made me feel and I want to do that to the new girls. They’re probably going to think I’m a bit of an odd unit but that’s okay, as long as they feel comfortable," Hill said. 

When asked what they would want to pass onto the 2021 draft class or wanted them to know, here’s what they had to say. 

“If you’re intimidated by someone, just go up to them and start having a chat and you’ll realise it’s so fine,” Hill said. 

“Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get picked straight away, it’s pretty tough out there, you’ve got to be physically and mentally strong, but you’ll get your shot,” Walker said.