KEEP going to work.

For Jaxon Binns, it’s the ethos which has served him so well to get to this point.

It was back in 2020 - when the world was shutting down - when it clicked for a 15-year-old Binns. During the Covid pandemic, the budding young footballer went to work.

With his sights set on realising a dream two years down the track, it was laying the foundations for finding himself now on the Carlton list.

“For me, it was almost a blessing in disguise: it was when I really got to work on my footy craft.

“It’s everything I ever dreamt of, to get drafted into the AFL. It was pretty surreal and pretty unexpected: I was so happy to come to such a great club like Carlton.”

02:03

VFL R4 | Binns half-time feature

Watch the half-time feature from the Round 4 VFL game against Port Melbourne, courtesy of Channel 7.

That’s been the backbone of Binns ever since then. Locking down a wing role for the Carlton Reserves, Binns has picked up where he left off last season in a debut campaign which yielded the Blues’ VFL Best and Fairest as well as VFL Team of the Year selection.

He was busy in the first half against Collingwood a fortnight ago, and had some crucial moments late in the piece as Carlton came from behind against Port Melbourne.

In past years at IKON Park, with the team toiling away at the bottom end of the ladder, opportunities have come very early for the Club’s draftees. But Binns, like fellow draft class member Harry Lemmey, has been biding his time and honing his craft for the Carlton Reserves since the start of last year.

He knows that if he’s to be ready when the opportunity arises, it’s going to be off the back of that very hard work.

Close relationships with two coaches in particular has served as a constant reminder of that.

“The main two that have really supported me since coming in the door have been Luke Power and Brad Ebert,” he said.

“I think everyone talks about how good they are, but their genuine care as people off the field is unbelievable with how much support they show. I can’t thank them enough.

“It was a massive honour [in 2023] with the individual accolades, but I had some really good teammates who supported me and drove me to keep getting better as a player. The special thing about Carlton with the combined AFL and VFL group is we get to do a fair bit together, we’re pretty connected.

“Everyone has been so supportive.”