WITH the AFLW season kicking off for the Blues on Saturday afternoon, there might be a few unfamiliar faces in Navy Blue. 

Whether it was via trades, the draft or even international recruits, here's a run-through of all the players who joined Carlton for 2023. 

7. Tahlia Read 

Tahlia Read joined the Blues through the 2023 trade period, with the forward coming across from Fremantle. 

A native Victorian, Read has yet to play a game at the highest level, but her training standards and determination can’t be faulted. 

Read has been learning her craft in the forward line, learning from the likes of the experienced Darcy Vescio and Phoebe McWilliams to hone her talents inside 50.

A former best-and-fairest winner for the Calder Cannons, Read suffered an ankle injury midway through the pre-season and is expected to be available after Round 5 of the AFLW season. 

13. Lulu Beatty 

Lulu Beatty came to Carlton through the 2023 AFLW Supplementary Draft, being selected at pick No.5: the Blues’ opening selection. 

A Northern Knights product and a former Darebin Falcon, Beatty started the year with the Carlton VFLW side, where she showcased her football IQ and decision-making before being selected in the draft.

Training for a role across half-back, Beatty showed grit and a strong desire to improve to her leaders, impressing the likes of Mua Laloifi and captain Kerryn Peterson. 

Unfortunately, Beatty suffered a right tibia fracture and was placed on the inactive list for the 2023 season. 

14. Marianna Anthony 

Coming to IKON Park with pick No.19 in the 2023 AFLW Supplementary Draft, Marianna Anthony made the change from soccer to football in her 20s and was a part of Essendon’s 2022 VFLW premiership side. 

Moving to North Melbourne after two years at Essendon, Anthony now finds herself on the senior list at Carlton, with the driven midfielder impressing through her leadership and physicality on the field. 

Proving to be a handy asset in the contest, Anthony has been a mainstay of the midfield cohort throughout the entire pre-season, gelling strongly with established faces Mimi Hill and Abbie McKay.

Heading to the game? Find out more information here. 

15. Chloe Wrigley

A 50-game player for the Peel Thunder since her debut back in 2019, Chloe Wrigley forged a reputation as one of the WA state league’s brightest prospects, starring for her side on the way to back-to-back premierships in 2020 and 2021 — she was named best on the ground in the Grand Final for the first.

Now in the Navy Blue, Wrigley has lived up to her reputation from the west, proving herself as a tackling machine in the VFLW and through training. 

The inside midfielder was off to a strong start in pre-season before suffering a high-grade hamstring injury that saw her miss the back half of the training block: she is expected to return within the first few rounds of the 2023 season. 

17. Dayna Finn 

Dayna Finn is looking to become the latest player in the AFL and AFLW competitions to emerge after a stint in Gaelic football, where she previously represented County Mayo.

Her adaptability across codes isn’t to be understated, with Finn also displaying her credentials as a talented basketballer, representing Ireland at a national level.

A fast-paced utility who can play all over the ground, Finn has shown promising signs with ball in hand and by foot, quickly adapting to the nuance of Australian Rules Football.

19. Erone Fitzpatrick 

Coming to Australia with fellow Gaelic footballer Dayna Finn, Erone Fitzpatrick comes from Laios, being named in the 2017 and 2021 Ladies Football Team of the League, while also being named as Leinster Gaelic football Player of the Year in 2018.

Fitzpatrick has adapted quickly to the sport, always putting her head over the ball and being an elite user by foot. 

Earning plenty of plaudits from her teammates, Fitzpatrick has impressed all comers in the way she has approached the pre-season as a forward as she looks to make an immediate impact on the senior side.

21. Harriet Cordner

Carlton bolstered its leadership stocks in the off-season, picking up the experienced Harriet Cordner from Richmond. 

Starting her career at Melbourne, Cordner had played 37 games for the Dees and Tigers, before she suffered a knee injury that saw her miss both 2022 seasons. 

Now injury-free and raring to go at a new club, the 31-year-old has made herself at home in the backline, using her knowledge and physicality to lock down her opponent and intercept aerially.

27. Genevieve Lawson-Tavan 

Gen Lawson-Tavan has been given a second opportunity at an AFLW list spot, with the 26-year-old earning her chance after Maddy Guerin was placed on the inactive list for the 2023 season. 

Drafted to the inaugural Sydney side last year, Lawson-Tavan was a mainstay of the Darebin Falcons for the last decade, captaining the VFLW side as a key defender. 

Now joining a strong Carlton backline, Lawson-Tavan’s height and aerial ability has been an asset for the Blues in the backend of pre-season, identified through her work in the Carlton VFLW side, where she came second in the Best and Fairest. 

36. Ciara Fitzgerald 

Athletic rebounding defender Ciara Fitzgerald is the last Blue to join the 2023 side, replacing Lulu Beatty who has been placed on the inactive list. 

Fitzgerald’s versatility allows her to play multiple roles down back, supporting in the air as well as being talented at ground level.

A natural reader of the play, she impacts the game through her intercept-marking ability and athleticism.

In 2023 she was awarded runner-up in North Melbourne’s VFLW Best and Fairest, playing 13 matches and averaging 14 disposals.

49. Maddy Hendrie

Standing at 180cm at 21 years old, Maddy Hendrie is preparing for her first season in the AFLW.

After being drafted by Carlton as pick No.9 in the 2023 AFLW Supplementary Draft, the key position tall is learning a new craft in the ruck, as well as providing some height to the backline. 

Hendrie’s versatility is her strong suit, as is her natural athleticism: she has a background in state athletics, including high jump and cross-country running.

They're not the only changes...

There will be a few rule changes in 2023, with the main one being the extension of to 17 minutes, including time on in the final two minutes of quarters.

The quarter-time and three-quarter time breaks have been reduced by 30 seconds, while half time has been cut back from 16 minutes to 14 minutes.

The AFLW has also introduced its first interchange cap, with teams restricted to 60 rotations.

The boundary umpires will now throw the ball in from 10m inside the boundary line when the ball goes out of play between the 50-metre arcs: the 'last touch out of bounds' rule remains between the arcs.

Finally, runners are now restricted to only three trips onto the ground per quarter for 90 seconds at a time until the final three minutes of each term.