UP FOR the challenge.
Carlton AFLW captain Kerryn Peterson has challenged the playing group to write their own story after an off-season negotiating widespread change.
Re-committing to the Blues for her seventh season, Peterson can’t imagine being anywhere else, and she’s determined to use her leadership to bring her younger teammates along for the ride.
“There was clearly never any doubt – I love Carlton, it’s my home,” Peterson said.
“I’ve been here for a long period of time now and feel like I’ve been able to establish myself in the program. The challenge for me now is to create the future and to help shape what comes next.
“The drive is that there has been a challenge laid down for this group and I feel a responsibility as a leader - and I’m sure the other players feel a responsibility too - to get this club back to where it wants and needs to be.”
With processes currently underway to fill the roles of General Manager of Women’s Football as well as AFLW Senior Coach, Peterson spoke of her full confidence that the Club will hire the right person for the roles .
In the meantime, Peterson is ensuring both herself and her teammates do everything in their power to build a solid base before pre-season begins.
“There’s still a few unknown pieces of the puzzle in terms of what’s to come in the future,” she said.
“For the playing group and for me as a leader, [the priority is] establishing the habits and behaviours that are required for the playing group and controlling what we can control at the moment.”
Peterson acknowledged that the turnout at IKON Park - months before the official commencement of pre-season - has been phenomenal, and the commitment from the group has given her belief that the cogs will start to turn.
“Most of the playing group is back here now, apart from the ones rehabbing: there’s been a real commitment from the playing group to get back into pre-season training much earlier than perhaps we would’ve in the past,” she said.
“The feeling around the group is to come into pre-season with the wheels already in motion – we’ve seen that commitment and determination from the playing group thus far, away from the spotlight and away from the training lights where people watch: it’s what we’re doing when people aren’t watching.”
The retirement of Elise O’Dea has left a hole in the experience of the leadership group – particularly Peterson, who relied heavily on O’Dea as a sounding board.
What it does leave is a gap for someone else to fill, and from what she can see, Peterson believes some of her younger teammates might be ready to take the baton.
“Elise O’Dea is one of a kind, it’s going to be tough to replace her. It’s actually hard to put into words the impact she’s had on me personally, but also us as a group – someone has some big shoes to fill,” she said.
“The future is in our young players, so I expect Mimi Hill to step up again. I expect someone like Paige Trudgeon, who has been on the list for three or four years and clearly has the talent and the work ethic and skillset, to really elevate herself to the next level.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what that younger group can do with a bit more responsibility. When the more experienced players make way for them, there is a void to fill and we’ll be throwing down the challenge to some of those players to say ‘that position is there for you to really step into and make your own impact’.”
