A NEW ERA is upon the AFLW program - particularly at IKON Park - and inaugural AFLW stars Darcy Vescio and Jess Dal Pos are more than up for the challenge. 

After starting their careers at the inception of professional women’s football, the two have come together at Carlton with one common goal: to create a winning culture. 

While there have been bumps in the road, the two are adamant that they’re not going to hide behind excuses and will leave no stone unturned to establish a winning legacy with the Club. 

“Going through the review, we’re in a position where we know that we need to improve and I feel really excited to launch into that next phase,” Vescio said. 

“I’m really invigorated by the thoughts of having new people come in and I feel like we’ve got so much more to give and so much more to explore individually and as a collective.”

Both re-committed to the Club earlier this week, as two of 22 remaining Game Changers to stay at IKON Park: now, the Darebin duo are pushing their leadership standards to the next level, having spent season seven as co-vice captains.

The AFLW competition has been getting more professional each year, but Dal Pos wants to raise the expectations to where the Club - or the competition - hasn’t gone before. 

“I’m really excited to take the program where other programs haven’t been before in terms of high performance and in terms of sustainability,” Dal Pos said.  

“[We want to] build something that can stand for 20 years and be really helpful for all the players that come through for a really long time.”

As contemporaries, housemates and life-long teammates, Vescio and Dal Pos have an unparalleled connection – coming from a golden era at the Darebin Falcons, the pair hope they can instil some of that culture into Carlton. 

“We’re very conscious of the people who looked after us when we were kids and how we’ve got a responsibility to pass on and do the same,” Dal Pos said. 

“I think we are both hungry to bring the things that we learnt early on and the lessons we were luckily given by some very good players. 

“To be able to share that knowledge, especially as older players and leaders in the group, we want to leave something behind.”