Club/Recruited from: North Melbourne VFLW
Position: Wing
Height: 169cm
DOB: 26 July 1997
FROM the red and black, to royal blue and white, to the Navy Blue.
Mariana Anthony has been selected by Carlton with pick No.19 in the 2023 AFLW Supplementary Draft.
A mature-age signing, Anthony will add to the Blues’ running capacity and add some experience to a youthful outfit, having honed her craft in the VFLW competition for the Bombers in recent seasons.
A premiership player for Essendon in 2022 in the state-league competition, Anthony moved to North this season, impressing with her leadership from the outset in the opening two games of the season.
Her tenacity at the contest was never more evident than just last weekend, where she recorded 20 disposals and 15 tackles against Williamstown.
That was Saturday, but now come Tuesday night, she finds herself as a Carlton player, after a VFLW career which has spanned three seasons, 32 games and fuelled by a desire to reach the elite level of the competition.
Before arriving at the Bombers, Anthony was an emerging soccer player, featuring across three seasons in the NPL Victoria with South Melbourne and Alamein: her passion and desire to improve has been a hallmark of her game in whichever game she has played.
“We’re thrilled to be able to give Marianna the opportunity at AFLW level: it’s something which she has been so committed towards for a number of years now,” Carlton Head of Football Brad Lloyd said.
“Her commitment to her craft in the VFLW competition has really shone through in the last few years, and we were really keen to add her to the fold with her experience, character and tenacity both on and off the field.
“She can play a number of roles whether it’s as an outside or inside midfielder as well as slotting in across half-back. She is someone who our recruiting team believes thoroughly deserves her chance, and we’re delighted that it’s going to be with our football club.”
