TWIN sisters Sarah and Gemma Wright have been playing in the same team together since they were six years old.
Prior to 2017, the Wrights were dominant in basketball. However, a newfound love in footy has seen them make quite the impact at local level.
Key Blues return for the Round 5 clash! Click here to see all the changes for this week's game.
In just her third year of playing, Sarah is already a two-time league and club best and fairest winner. Meanwhile, Gemma is not far behind, coming runner-up in two club and one league best and fairest awards.
The individual accolades may be special, but perhaps the most precious prize that the Wright sisters share is their 2017 premiership with Keilor.
A familiar face in Carlton VFLW assistant coach Emma Kerry led the side to their inaugural premiership that year, and she has coached the Wright sisters ever since.
For Sarah, Kerry's familiar face and approach helped calmed the nerves of being selected to play in Carlton’s VFLW side.
“From pretty much the day we walked into Keilor, it was always go, go, go, not letting us drop the ball. I guess that’s kind of made it easy for us to follow her and come to Carlton,” Sarah said.
“I was nervous coming down but she said we would be okay and we have been.”
Gemma also echoed the praise for Kerry, and is looking forward to working closely with the coach this season as she aims to develop into her skills in defence.
“She’s been really good for me,” Gemma said.
“She’s been a help on and off the field throughout my football journey: obviously this year she’s my backline coach so she’s made the transition a lot easier for me. I’m really happy to have her here.”
Both sisters are aiming to use the VFLW season as a year of learning, after coming across from the NFNL.
“We did learn a lot under Emma, but to come into a high-level program with such high training standards and the chance to learn off the AFLW girls[has been eye-opening],” Sarah said.
“Obviously the goal is to make the next level and play AFLW but if I don’t, I’m happy with what I’ve achieved so far.”
The Wrights are also looking forward to the opportunity to play with key members of the Carlton's AFLW team, while Gemma has her eyes on a couple of players in particular she would like to learn from.
What makes this year even more special for Gemma is the fact that she gets to release her inner Bluebagger on the field.
“I’m learning a new role in the backline, so I want to learn off players like Nicola Stevens and Jess Hosking: the kind of players who are dominant in the AFLW, and I want to play like them,” Gemma said.
“I’m actually a Carlton supporter so I was pretty happy to be selected by the Blues, my grandpa is also a passionate Carlton supporter, so I know he’d be pretty proud of us to be wearing the Navy Blue.”
The Wright sisters, along with the rest of the VFLW Blues, will be in action this Saturday when they take on the NT Thunder.
Round 5
Carlton v NT Thunder
Saturday 8 June - 11am
La Trobe University, Bundoora
Round 5 VFLW Team | |||
B | 11. J Hosking | 66. M Neill | 27. E Woods |
HB | 25. J Edwards | 55. G Wright | 20. C Wilson |
C | 21. N Stevens | 4. M Prespakis | 10. S Hosking |
HF | 32. N Plane | 7. S Wright | 8. C Bromage |
F | 30. T Cassar | 35. M Clifford | 2. M Jarvis |
R | 45. B Moody | 5. A McKay | 40. S Mason |
Int | 12. S Cubasch | 9. B Gurr | 44. A Prins |
| 33. L Munday | ||
23P | 82. P Chisholm | ||
Emg | 39. C Leighton | 26. C Faulks | 50. J Borg |
| 41. I Dakis Rofe | ||
