FOR BEN and Lucas Camporeale, the raised monogram very quickly brings back some old memories.
The father-son duo - son of premiership player, Scott - were fittingly the two first players to showcase the Blues’ returning iconic guernsey for 2026, which was launched with the tagline ‘Raised in Carlton’.
Members of the Carlton Academy in recent years, the Camporeale boys were from a young age bound to wear the Navy Blue. That dream came a reality 12 months ago in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft, and the relaunched guernsey heading into their second season is symbolic of their journey.
As Lucas reminisces, it’s a connection that goes back a long way.
“I remember when me and Ben got our first Carlton guernseys, it was the raised monogram guernsey. It’s pretty surreal to be wearing it,” Lucas told Channel 9.
Ben added: “It’s a massive privilege… and it looks cool as well! We’re doing it for everyone that follows Carlton - it’s a privilege to put it on, it’s pretty special.”
The twins weren’t born when Scott was still playing for the Blues when his tenure finished at the end of the 2005 campaign, but the twins have been informed and reminded of their old man’s achievements for a number of years.
Lucas was able to follow in his father’s footsteps 30 years after Dad’s debut, running out in Round 1 in front of over 80,000 people - the only father-son duo to accomplish that feat.
“Really proud to carry on the tradition of my family. To see Dad do it in the first game of his debut season and then for me to do it, it was pretty special… I’m in my second year now, I’m looking forward to hopefully getting a few more.
“The next goal is doing it with Ben, that’ll be pretty cool.”
The first season was a mixed bag for Ben, whose year was delayed when an ankle infection led to surgery and a drip in his arm in pre-season, before a four-game suspension in the VFL thwarted the potential of a late AFL debut.
All that’s done is light the fire in the belly for the second-year Blue.
“You don’t want to be beaten by your older brother! To get a game would be pretty special and make a name for myself.
“In my second year now, I know what’s it about - we’ve got a really special group coming through. Hopefully I can get through a healthy pre-season, build connections with the boys and hit the ground running.”
And that, of course, includes the prospect of running out together at AFL level for the first time.
They know it’s no guarantee, but these Blue bloods aren’t going to leave any stone unturned - especially with some new teammates arriving at the Club in recent weeks.
“I’d be lying if we said we didn’t speak about it very often. Last year we thought it might’ve happened, but it didn’t pan out the way we wanted to,” Ben said. “To walk out on the MCG or anywhere in the Carlton guernsey arm in arm would be pretty special.”
“[The recruits] seem like unreal people and proud to wear the Carlton guernsey as much as we are with the history that it has, and to make the Carlton fans proud,” Lucas added.
To get your hands on our iconic guernsey shop online via The Carlton Shop or head into our IKON Park store to feel it for yourself.
