Overview:
After ending the 2020 season in great form, Brooke Walker shaped as a pivotal member of Carlton’s line-up for AFLW 5.0.
Two crucial goals in a Round 6 fixture against Melbourne late in 2020 from Walker effectively sealed Carlton’s finals berth in the unfinished season, but the Blues were unfortunately left to do the majority of this year without Walker due to an untimely foot injury.
Returning for the Game Changers’ final two fixtures of the season, Walker showed Bluebaggers exactly what they had been missing in attack in her games against Gold Coast and GWS.
Slotting in seamlessly alongside Georgia Gee, Nicola Stevens and Darcy Vescio, Walker recorded seven score involvements in just two games while kicking goals in both outings.
With the Blues missing out narrowly on a finals berth, the football world didn’t get to see as much of Walker as it would’ve liked, but a full pre-season will mean she’ll be right back where she belongs in the Navy Blue.
Season highlight:
To make a return after a lengthy injury was sweet. To hit the scoreboard was even sweeter.
Following her layoff, Walker was back in the Carlton line-up for the season’s final fortnight, and she didn’t take long to get going in a meaningful way.
Putting in a lung-bursting run from the centre circle after the Game Changers won a turnover, Walker had the 50 at her reckoning when the white-hot Darcy Vescio faced up in the clash with Gold Coast.
The leading goalkicker put it on a plate for Walker, who strolled in and capped off her return game with a major and an AFLW record win in the process.
Of course, the return game and goal played second fiddle to becoming a podcast extraordinaire on season two of Behind The Game Changers.