The Carlton Football Club is delighted to welcome its talented 2020 AFL Women’s Draft class to Ikon Park with Mimi Hill, Daisy Walker and Winnie Laing to wear the Navy Blue.

The Blues were extremely pleased to land all three players who will add speed, power and quality ahead of the 2021 season.

Hill will electrify the Carlton faithful after the pacy midfielder was selected with pick No.12 overall in the 2020 NAB AFL Women’s Draft.

The Game Changers have also strengthened their backline with the acquisition of Walker, the defensive utility selected with pick No.28, while the acquisition of Lang at pick No.36 will add to the Club’s quality ball-use off half back.

Recruited from the Oakleigh Chargers, Hill comes highly regarded by coaches and teammates for work-rate and leadership over her NAB League career.

 Hill was selected to represent Vic Metro in the first round of the 2019 AFL Women’s Under-18 Championships. 

She went on to impress recruiters in an abridged 2020 season, playing two games with a standout average of 25 disposals, two tackles and four inside 50s across her appearances.

Walker joins the Blues as a standout talent after just three seasons playing football, since starting her sporting journey as a basketballer.

The Sandringham Dragon demonstrated a marked improvement between her 2019 and 2020 NAB League seasons: she progressed from averaging nine disposals a game to 16 in her three appearances this year.

The performance that got the attention of selectors came in Round 3 against the Gippsland Power as Walker dominated with 22 disposals, three marks, two tackles and four inside 50s.

With natural athletic ability, elite endurance and speed, Walker is set to add vital run off half back as the Blues gear up for their fifth AFLW campaign.

Power, grunt and a leader in the making, Laing will add quality depth to the Blues’ star-studded midfield.

 Four seasons into her football journey, the Sandringham Dragons captain started out at the Port Melbourne Colts before moving to East Malvern and making her first NAB League appearance for Sandringham.

A standout performer in the three NAB League rounds of 2020, Laing averaged 20 disposals, three tackles and three inside 50s in her work through the centre. 

Known for her competitiveness and hard-working nature during her junior career, the Dragons wasted no time in appointing Laing their captain ahead of the 2020 season after her significant off-season improvement.

GM of Women’s Football Ash Brown said the Club was delighted with the three players it has added through the 2020 NAB AFL Women’s Draft.

“We could not be happier to welcome Mimi, Daisy and Winnie to Ikon Park. They are terrific, young footballers and great people who will be quality additions to our football club,” Brown said.

“We are delighted to welcome Mimi, she carries herself professionally and seems like she will be a valuable leader in time. She gets her hands on the ball a lot, moves it quickly and we’re really excited to see her put that into play in 2021.”

“Daisy is a brilliant athlete and we can’t wait to see what she can produce after a pre-season in our program. With the speed at which she’s improved through the underage system, she’s proved herself to be a top prospect with tremendous upside.

 “Winnie comes highly recommended for her power, grunt and determination to get the best out of herself – she is well placed for success in an AFLW environment. With leadership experience and proven coachability, we’re certain Winnie will add just as much to the group off-field as she will on it. 

“I would also like to highlight the work of our List Manager Brett Munro. This draft was equally unique and challenging to prepare for but Brett has left no stone unturned, as have the other members of our management team; Daniel Harford, Tara Bonello and Lindsey Berne. 

“Their hard work has allowed us to welcome three exciting players to our Club, which sets us up really well for the upcoming 2021 season.”