CARLTON’S triumphant preliminary final win over Fremantle will see the Blues play for their first AFLW premiership, and forward Lauren Brazzale “cannot believe it”.
The half-forward put in her best performance in the Navy Blue, gathering a career-high 22 disposals in the 36-point win in a best-on-ground performance.
Speaking after the match, the 25-year-old was quick to offload the praise to her teammates.
“Credit to my teammates, they just were unbelievable today,” Brazzale said.
“We got the ball out wide and there was just always someone there backing you up. It was just great.”
After finishing bottom in 2018, Brazzale noted the astonishing turnaround the Blues have undergone over the past 12 months - particularly against yesterday’s opposition.
The moment. #BoundByBlue pic.twitter.com/6Cu6jsssva
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) March 23, 2019
“Someone said to me yesterday ‘You were playing off against Fremantle last year for the wooden spoon, and then this year you’re playing off for the Grand Final’,” Brazzale said.
“Wow, it’s pretty cool!”
Though the Blues led from halfway through the first term, Brazzale was not sold on the result until the dying stages of the match.
But it was at the main break – when Carlton had dominated the first half to hold a commanding 29-point lead – that Brazzale had an inkling her team would be playing in next week’s decider.
“There was about a minute to go, and I looked up and I was like ‘They can’t kick four goals. I think we’ve got this.' We’re going into the Grand Final,’” she said.
“I think at half time I was like ‘We are on here. We are absolutely on’,” she said.
“I had full faith we were not going to take a foot off the pedal, and we were going to come out firing.”
From the beginning of the match, it was clear Carlton’s intensity was at all-time high. It translated into an even ledger in the tackle count – a respectable effort considering the Blues had 77 disposals more than the Dockers.
Brazzale said it was the biggest emphasis for the team going into the match.
“Pressure at the source and make them earn it – that was our main focus from the onset,” she said.
A year ago @BriannaDavey was watching on from the sidelines.
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) March 23, 2019
Next Sunday, she will lead the Blues out for the AFLW Grand Final.
(:@shescores_steph)#BoundByBlue
“We didn’t get off for the whole game so that was great.”
With Carlton’s attention quickly shifting towards the Grand Final next week, Brazzale said the team will be sticking to their usual routines.
“We’ll just treat it like another week,” she said.
“It’s just the exact same. Just one more game to go. An extra week.”
