“THE energy that came from the crowd, the energy that came from the girls, the whole experience is really quite thrilling and I definitely will never forget it.”

Carlton young gun Charlotte Wilson knows a thing or two being thrown onto the big stage. 

The youngest player in the competition in 2019, she found herself lining up in the AFLW Grand Final last year in her debut season.

It’s a day she still looks back on.

“I think in the Grand Final, I was just amazed to be there to be honest,” Wilson said. 

“I was really shocked when I was named to be playing in the Grand Final. I wouldn’t say I’m a strong presence – I have my moments but they happen really.”

The 19-year-old may remain humble, but she well and truly proved herself against formidable opposition.

Coming up against the opponents from last year’s decider, Wilson was a pillar of strength in the backline with 19 disposals, nine marks and four rebound 50s.  

“I was actually super stoked that we won because Adelaide obviously beat us by a lot last year: I felt like we had a lot of unfinished business,” she said. 

“When that siren went, I was just so so happy and so thrilled for all the girls. The hard work we’ve put in the last few weeks showed.”

Her performance was recognised two-fold: firstly, she polled coaches’ votes alongside stars Madison Prespakis, Darcy Vescio, Kerryn Harrington and Tayla Harris. 

Senior Coach Daniel Harford also revealed that Wilson was the recipient of the ‘prestigious’ chocolate frog as decided on by his wife, Bec. 

“I think it was very special because personally I believe I’ve been working hard for a long time, so it was good to have that effort recognised. Everything I’ve done is starting to pay off,” she said. 

“The girls were so supportive because when something good happens to someone, everyone gets really around it and it’s so exciting.” 

The 19-year-old credits Carlton’s senior players for her growth as a player, understanding the importance of having mentors. 

“I think the senior players are really inspiring and helpful. I know Darcy and ‘Kez’ especially have taken me under their wing and guided me a bit.

“They’ve helped me out and been there for me when I’ve needed it, whether that just giving me advice or allowing me to sit in on their vision. 

“’Kez’ and I because we play similar positions… being able to see what she needs to work on and how she’s going about it, hopefully I can mirror that and just continue to develop.” 

Wilson is determined to reach her full potential and isn’t afraid to acknowledge areas she would like to improve. 

“For me, it’s definitely about learning to understand the game a bit better: to read the flight of the ball and the game structures, just learn all of that kind of stuff a bit more,” she said. 

“I can run as hard as I can, I can jump as high as I can, you can do all these things as well as you can but it’s more of the technical side that I’m still trying to get my head around. 

“So I think I’ve got to do that by practising, watching a lot of vison and just really learning to understand it all better.”

This Saturday night, the Game Changers host St Kilda at Ikon Park, with the game shining a light on the Club’s initiative that aims to increase awareness surrounding gender equality and domestic violence. 

Carlton Respects ambassador Simone O’Brien shared her story with the squad at Monday night’s training session, educating the girls of the realities of domestic violence. 

“It’s a really important issue because I didn’t really realise just how extreme it can be until Simone spoke to us on Monday night,” she said. 

“Her story was really touching and it really got through to a lot of us because I knew domestic violence was an issue but I didn’t realise the extent of it. 

“To be able to hear her story was quite moving. It means on the weekend we are playing for something more than just ourselves.”