THE TEAM is in for Carlton’s first clash of the home-and-away season. 

Taking on Gold Coast at IKON Park on Saturday afternoon, the Blues will blood five new Carlton debutants, including three making their AFLW debuts.

Erone Fitzpatrick, Marianna Anthony and Maddy Hendrie will pull on the Navy Blue for the first time as the trio play their very first AFLW game in Round 1, impressing in pre-season with their determination and flair. 

Fitzpatrick made her way to IKON Park from County 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. 

Anthony had a different journey to the AFLW, playing soccer for the majority of her life before joining Essendon's 2022 Premiership side. Drafted to the Blues in the 2023 supplementary draft, Anthony has proven herself as a physical and classy player through the middle. 

A New South Wales product, Hendrie has settled in nicely to the Carlton backline, using her natural athleticism that held her in good stead across her previous career in high jump and cross-country running.

Harriet Cordner (former Demon, Tiger) and Gen Lawson-Tavan (ex-Sydney) will make their debut for Carlton, with the pair making their way to IKON Park in the off-season.

Mia Austin will also return to the line-up for the first, missing the majority of her debut season after ankle surgery.

The Blues will be without the experience of skipper Kerryn Peterson in Round 1, but it leaves a golden opportunity for others to step up and lead the charge. 

In Mathew Buck’s first game at the helm, the Blues will want to start the season strong against the Suns in front of a home ground, putting everything they’ve worked on during the pre-season into action.

Find out more about the game here.