WITH Carlton’s defenders, the age-old adage rings true: honesty really is the best policy.

For the two experienced heads of the Blues’ back-line group in Kerryn Peterson and Harriet Cordner, it’s key in their communication.

As Cordner puts it: “we’re pretty honest with each other . . . I like it when Kerryn yells at me”.

That honesty will be crucial on the back of a frustrating campaign for the Blues, producing some great football against the likes of Geelong and Fremantle but unable to mix it with the standout sides in the competition.

Come the end of the season, the Blues were 3-1 against the sides around them on the ladder, but 1-6 against top-eight teams.

For the Blues to go to the next level in the AFLW competition, there has to be growth across the board. 

In Peterson and Cordner’s eyes, there were a number of individuals that stood out.

“Unfortunately I missed a couple of games which wasn’t the plan, but it was an opportunity for my personal growth. I was up int eh box with the coaching staff and really enjoyed that experience,” Peterson said.

“Me not being there meant Abbie and ‘Mim’ got to step up into the captaincy role: the way they took that opportunity, were able to work with each other and influence what was going on with the rest of the group was great to see.”

“I was impressed with Keeley Sherar: I think she’s just gone and improved in leaps and bounds this season . . . she was a really big standout for me,” Cordner said.

“Meg Robertson came into the backline a bit later in the season, and she’s so composed with the ball for someone so young. For her first year in the competition, I was really impressed with her.”

Of course, what 2024 showed was that the opportunity for development never stops, with Cordner enjoying a second straight impressive season in Navy Blue which yielded selection in the All-Australian squad.

Yet it’s clear the duo get much more satisfaction out of the development of not only their teammates, but how that will positively impact the plight of the entire team going forward.

“If you look at the teams that are really successful in the AFLW, they play a really good system defence and don’t rely on any one or two players to do the dirty work. It’s the way they move as a unit: that’s our biggest area of growth,” Cordner said.

“As much as individual growth is something we chase, it’s more the collective growth for our defensive unit. There were times we worked really well as a unit, and some times where we didn’t work so well,” Peterson said.

“We need to establish more consistency with that. That’s helping players around us, trying to upskill them as quickly as possible.”