TARA Bonello is very familiar with the AFLW journey, being Carlton’s Football Operations Manager since the inception of its women’s team. 

Bonello was in charge of campaigning for the Blues' women's team with the AFL, and has been at it's helm ever since.

One of Bonello’s fondest memories was the first official AFLW game between Carlton and Collingwood. 

“I’ll never forget that day [the first game], even just the build up,” said Bonello. 

“It was originally supposed to be at the Holden Center, up at Collingwood, and it was only up until 5 days before that game that they knew the momentum was building and that they had to change it to Ikon for a bigger capacity."

The day of course was a historic one, with Carlton taking on its arch rivals at Ikon Park and winning by 35 points. 

The amount of work for Bonello and her team had paid off, regardless of the win, with a lockout crowd turning up to watch the first ever AFLW match live. 

“I just remember the crowd, that was probably the main thing: the noise and the crowd,” said Bonello. 

“In the rooms after the game everyone was so happy, you literally you just felt like you’d made history and that’s what we did.”

An emotional day for all only heightened Bonello’s passion for women’s sport and left her driven as ever to have a full time women’s program.