The Carlton Football Club has made it 15 re-signings or extensions during the 2021 AFLW Sign and Trade Period after securing core pillars of its defence until at least the end of the 2022/2023 season.

Despite both having another year to run of their existing deals, Charlotte Wilson and Vaomua Laloifi have re-affirmed their commitment to the Club for an extra year.

Wilson and Laloifi’s extensions follow the commitments already made by 13 of their fellow Game Changers last Thursday.

The last two seasons have seen both players emerge as outstanding and reliable members of the Blues’ back six.

After a breakout year in 2020 that saw her named in the inaugural AFLPA AFLW 22under22 team, Wilson solidified her standing as one of the competition’s best young defenders this year.

The 20-year-old consistently demonstrated her versatility by playing both intercept and lockdown roles for the team when required.

In her second season at the top level Laloifi also cemented her place down back as a tight-checking defender.

Her strength in the air and at ground level has made her a nightmare for opposition forwards, with her selection at No.52 overall in the 2019 NAB AFLW Draft proving to be a shrewd pick up.

Blues GM of Women’s Football Brett Munro said the Club was delighted to have secured two integral members of the backline for an additional year.

“Charlotte and Mua are both real success stories in regards to the Club’s player development in recent years and we couldn’t be happier that our members and supporters will be able to see their talent on full display in the Navy Blue for the next two years,” Munro said. 

“Charlotte has really grown with every season she has played at AFLW level. She is often given a lot of responsibility down back at just 20 years of age, and the way she not only handles that but looks forward to it shows a level of maturity and a team-focus that has made her a great club person.

“Mua has an incredible story and has earned every bit of recognition she has received in her short career so far. She hasn’t missed a beat since walking through the doors of the football club and brings terrific energy on and off the field. We look forward to her being a strong part of what is now an established back six for years to come.

“To now have 15 players either re-sign or extend their deals with the Club in the last week is a great testament to this playing group’s unity and focus on building something special internally, to give us the best chance of achieving the ultimate success.”