THE AFLW has given sportswomen across Australia the chance to play football at the highest level, and while the league is still in its infancy, many professional athletes are taking a chance on the competition.
One of those athletes is Carlton’s VFLW captain, Kristi Harvey. A former Adelaide United Women’s goalkeeper, the South Australian made the code switch to Aussie Rules and hasn’t looked back since.
The 29-year-old began her footy career with South Adelaide, co-captaining the team to three premierships in two seasons.
In May, the key forward relocated to Melbourne and joined Carlton’s inaugural VFLW team. In an interview with Carlton Media, Harvey said she saw the chance to be recruited on an AFLW list and didn’t want to be left wondering ‘what if?’
“I made the move because I’m trying to get drafted,” Harvey revealed.
“The best way to do it is to go and play in the best league in the country, other than the AFLW. I wanted to put myself against the players in that competition and have the opportunity to get seen by more clubs.
“As Adelaide only has one team, it restricts that opening. Even if I don’t get drafted, playing in that next elite competition is awesome for me. The difference is noticeable.”
While the move has been rewarding for Harvey, she admits it has been difficult at times.
“I’ve enjoyed it, I love Melbourne. Though it has been really hard,” Harvey said.
“The first two months were a bit of a struggle. But the Club’s been amazing, and the girls have all been great. The footy side’s been good, the rest has worked itself out.”
Kristi Harvey has been a consistent performer for the VFLW Blues this season. (Photo: AFL Media)
Not only has Harvey settled into a new city and a new team, but she was bestowed the honour of captaining the Blues on the eve of their inaugural season – a challenge she’s relishing.
"It’s been challenging but I’ve loved it. The club’s been great,” she said.
“The group is so diverse. There’s some players with experience in the AFLW and there’s also really young girls coming through. It’s just about making sure everyone’s on the same page and getting the most out of it.”
Through all the changes in Harvey’s life in the past few months, it’s a testament to the skipper that she has still been able to develop and add skills to her game.
Prior to relocating to Carlton, Harvey had only played as a power forward, but it didn’t take her long to be thrust into new positions at the Blues.
“In Round 2, they threw me in the back line and I stayed there for a substantial part of the season, which has been awesome,” Harvey said.
“Being a goalkeeper in soccer has been huge for my time in defence. I’ve been able to now transfer those skills, like reading the play, which made it easy for me to make the switch.”
Along with Harvey’s growth, the youthful Blues have been progressing well throughout the season. Harvey says there has been clear improvement since the beginning.
“We would’ve liked to have won a few more games, but the progress we’ve made during the season and the way the girls have conducted themselves can’t be questioned at all,” Harvey said.
“The pre-season period could’ve been a little smoother. We had a lot of players and our coach, Shannon McFerran, coming in right at the start of the season.
“But we’ve progressed really well and I’m happy with the season.”
Carlton’s next VFLW clash is against the Darebin Falcons, who defeated the Blues by 49 points in their previous match. Harvey believes it’s the perfect opportunity to test how far the team has come.
“Last time we played them, they gave us a lesson with their experience, particularly in the midfield, so we’ll be looking to rectify that this time around,” the skipper said.
