“I ALWAYS thought navy was my colour.”
Amelia Mullane is focussed on helping Carlton make history this Sunday.
When the Blues run out on Whitten Oval this weekend, a win against the reigning premiers should secure top spot in Conference B — and, in the process, an inaugural finals berth for the Blues.
It comes on the back of a performance which she admits was her best performance for her new club.
And she’ll be hoping to repeat that this weekend.
“I think it was, definitely [my best performance],” Mullane said.
“I had some things which I wanted to work on from the first couple of weeks and I think, like the team, I was able to achieve that. It was probably our best four-quarter performance for the year.
“We know what this weekend means and hopefully we can lock in our spot. We’re focused on what we can control.”
With 13 disposals (nine contested), four inside 50s and three tackles against Brisbane, Mullane produced a big performance for the Blues in the middle.
Her showings this year have largely gone unheralded, but she has formed a crucial part of Carlton’s midfield set-up.
When asked about how she was finding her first year at Ikon Park after crossing from Collingwood, her response was simple but emphatic.
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“I’m loving it,” she said.
“Games like the weekend and against Collingwood the week before, coming off the ground and having people yelling your name and recognising who you are.
“There’s a great bunch of girls here, we’re all really close and I love pulling on the navy each week.”
It’s well-documented that Mullane ventured across to Ikon Park to follow her midfield coach from the Pies.
She said her relationship with Daniel Harford was something that allowed her to play her best football.
And after the disappointing result shared in both of their first games at Carlton, she believed the Blues had been building consistently since then — and the results were showing.
“I’m really close with ‘Harf’. He’s a great coach and someone who is getting the best out of us,” she said.
“I just don’t think we were ready yet, in that first game — we probably thought we were further ahead than we actually were.
“Since then, we’ve been getting better each week and I think that has showed. We’re really looking forward to taking on the Dogs this week, obviously they won the Premiership last year.”
With two previous best and fairest winners alongside her as well as the overwhelming favourite for the Rising Star award, Mullane is surrounded by a key trio in the middle.
Lining up alongside Brianna Davey, Katie Loynes and Madison Prespakis is something that Mullane — unsurprisingly — relishes each week.
And she’s hopeful it can springboard the Blues to a fourth win of the season this Sunday.
“Bri is an amazing player, an amazing leader and just a great chick. She’s so professional and someone who is always getting the best out of herself and all of her teammates,” she said.
“I played a lot of footy with ‘Loynesy’ back at Diamond Creek. She’s so tough and doesn’t take a backwards step, she’s someone who you love having next to you each week.
“Maddy is a star. You see some of the things she does in training and then in games as well — nothing seems to worry her."