THIS time 12 months, Brianna Davey was watching on from the sidelines as her team languished at the bottom of the AFLW ladder.
Now, she has led her side into an AFLW Grand Final.
Davey collected 16 disposals and laid five tackles in the 36-point win, providing a strong presence as the Blues produced their best performance when it mattered most.
When reflecting on the change in circumstances from now to last year, Davey was unsurprisingly lost for words.
“It doesn’t compare,” Davey said.
Kicking goals ✔️
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) March 23, 2019
Taking marks ✔️
Laying tackles ✔️
A game to remember from @taylaharriss #BoundByBlue
“Last year, I wasn’t even playing at this point. I was sitting there watching and unfortunately we found ourselves on the bottom of the ladder.
“Today, we got the win and the performance was there. We knew we could hold our heads high — off we got to the big dance next week.”
After conceding the first goal of the game, Carlton dominated proceedings at Ikon Park, dictating play with their pressure at the coalface a standout.
Davey said the scenes were memorable post-match, but it was crucial to stay grounded because of what’s to come.
“Everyone is buzzing, everyone is happy. We’ve still got our feet on the ground, we’ve got one game to go,” she said.
“We knew we could hold our heads high.”
The coach shared a similar message to his players after the game — according to the captain, the occasion almost got the better of Daniel Harford.
“I was on the bench when the final siren went, I looked over at him and he had tears in his eyes,” she said.
“He’s a passionate guy, ‘Harf’. He’s stoked but he’s very well aware we’ve got one more to go: we all are.”
