Trailblazer. History maker. Game Changer.

Darcy Vescio became the first player to reach 50 career goals in the NAB AFLW competition on the weekend, after booting two majors against the GWS GIANTS at Manuka Oval.

Erin Phillips (46 goals) and Tayla Harris (44) were the two other players in contention for the milestone, with Vescio reaching 50 goals from 47 AFLW games.

In spite of the incredible individual achievement, in typical Vescio-fashion, they were quick to divert the spotlight to their teammates.

"I feel really lucky to be surrounded by people who just ride every bump,” Vescio told SEN’s The Run Home.

"It was a beautiful feeling: obviously footy is a team game, so you love to share those moments with your teammates."

Since bursting onto the scene when they kicked four goals in the very first AFLW game, Vescio’s role within the playing group has continued to adapt across six seasons of AFLW.

"I certainly feel like over the past few years my mindset has shifted to how I can influence the team," they said.

"I always want to play well but I guess there is a bit more understanding that I need to be up-skilling my teammates around me and giving them as much knowledge as possible so they can develop faster, because the sooner these younger players develop, the better we can be as a team.

"They outnumber us so the sooner they can realise that they are driving this as much as we are, the better off we will be." 

While the Game Changers’ season didn’t get off to the start initially planned, the group have found form in recent weeks, recording back-to-back wins in Rounds 7 and 8.

"We weren't able to find wins early but we've trusted that we've been on the right track and if you stick to that game plan, that success will come," they said. 

"In the last couple of weeks I feel like we've been able to get back to just playing for each other and really enjoying being out there and the challenges of the game because you do ride wins and losses, which can make it a bit of a rollercoaster." 

With just two rounds of the 2021 home-and-away season remaining, discussion of the competition's upcoming expansion and the future of the women’s game is already bubbling away.

Next season will mark the first time all 18 clubs will have an AFLW side, with the season length and starting date to be agreed upon by the AFL and AFLPA in the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement.

"After this season, I think there's a real opportunity for clubs and players to really buckle in to wherever they are and look a little bit more long-term," they said. 

"I'm excited to see what that sort of longer term vision, what that will do for players within the system and how that will help shape their careers and help them understand that they've got a bigger role to play wherever they are, whichever club and to be able to see themselves in the game or at that club for a longer time." 

For Vescio, the biggest areas of growth remain the rate of pay and the amount of time players are able to spend at the club – and there’s a vital role that the AFL and its players can play in achieving that.

"I think that's where the biggest gains are to be made rather than looking at the talent diluting it, how can we get all these players at the club more and up-skilling them even faster so the league can flourish and become a league that we all want to be part of."

"A lot of the guys probably don't realise the influence they could have in that space.

"I would love to see more advocacy, I think it would benefit the entire league if we were able to come together and have men leading the way.

"We do have some really good spokespeople as well from the AFL men’s sides but they've had the resources for a lot of the time and now it's a time to share those resources and I think it would be great to see the men step up in that space," they said.

And there’s no time like the present.

"I think women's sport is surging at the moment and we're seeing how wonderful it is when the resources are shared and when women and gender-diverse people get the opportunity to play at the top level and to have that support.

"I'm really excited, I feel like new CBA is a really big one, so I'm looking forward to seeing what that brings and where we can go because you haven't seen the best of AFLW yet and I think people will love it even more when we get that opportunity."