THE CARLTON Football Club has today announced its leadership group for the upcoming 2022 AFLW season. 

Kerryn Harrington will lead the Game Changers as standalone skipper, supported by Darcy Vescio and Elise O’Dea who round out the group as co-vice captains. 

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Entering her third season as captain, Harrington has led the side since 2020 as co-captain alongside the now-departed Katie Loynes. 

Vescio has been elevated to co vice-captain after featuring in the leadership group during the 2019 and 2021 campaigns, while O’Dea enters the leadership group for the first time. 

The inaugural Blue has led from the front since arriving as a marquee signing in 2016, adding the 2021 Club Best and Fairest to her already impressive resume as a two-time All-Australian, two-time league leading goalkicker and a three-time Carlton leading goalkicker.    

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Leading also comes naturally to O’Dea who was co-captain of Melbourne in 2017 and 2018 and also earned All-Australian honours during those seasons. 

Now in her second year as a Game Changer, O'Dea's experience and leadership around the Club has been an important asset to the new-look Blues midfield. 

Harrington said she was honoured to lead the side for a third consecutive year and could not be happier to do it alongside such established leaders. 

“I feel privileged to be trusted in this position again and it’s not something I take lightly,” she said. 

Darcy, Elise and I will work together to ensure the entire team continues to live the values of the AFLW program and strive to achieve high standards consistently.” 

AFLW Senior Coach Daniel Harford believes a smaller leadership group will prove beneficial as the season progresses. 

“We made the decision to have a small senior player leadership model which we believe will aid in decision making and accountability,” he said. 

“All three players have a wealth of previous leadership experience, and it will be fantastic for the team to be guided by their passion and expertise.  

“Kerryn is a natural leader, who has done an outstanding job for the last two years and is more than ready to become standalone skipper. 

“We’re really looking forward to welcoming Elise into our leadership group for the first time, and with Kerryn and Darcy also, we could not ask for better senior players to guide the way as this group takes a collective approach to driving standards across the board.” 

The Game Changers commence their season on January 9 at against Collingwood at IKON Park.