CARLTON’S AFLW rooms are both a time capsule and a living thing.

As you descend the stairs the first wall you encounter is an ode to the first “game changers”, as coach Damien Keeping calls them.

It’s a photo of Carlton’s inaugural AFLW squad, huddled on the turf of Ikon Park, as they listen intently to Keeping, who stands a head taller than them all.

As you round the corner, the names of those players are inscribed on the wall.

Finals Week 1

It’s Keeping’s hope that the entire canvas will one day be covered, as each generation of “game changers” comes after the next.

The rooms are quiet. The antithesis to the buzz, euphoria and emotion of that first night at Ikon Park, when Carlton triumphed over Collingwood in front of a capacity crowd.

But the names that lit up the stage aren’t far away. The lockers of Darcy Vescio, Brianna Davey and Lauren Arnell lay dormant - for now - as the VFLW season plays out in the suburbs.

The entrance to Carlton's AFLW rooms. Source: Supplied

“On the first night of training we had David Parkin come in and hand over that space,” Keeping tells foxfooty.com.au.

“He told them it’s now their space to take forward and create history from. Just straight away the playing group thought this was a space they did belong in, feel comfortable in, feel safe in and express themselves in.

“That was a really important component of the program we put together.”

A few new names will be added to the lockers and the walls when the second AFLW season kicks off later this year.

Carlton was the most aggressive player at the trade table, landing Collingwood best and fairest Nicola Stevens, as well as Brisbane’s 20-year-old marquee forward Tayla Harris.

While some clubs took umbrage to the Blues’ tactics, Keeping insists Carlton had a responsibility to its members and supporters to “progress the list”.

And besides, Stevens and Harris wanted to come to Carlton.

“It’s a huge endorsement,” Keeping says.

“For players like Nic Stevens and Tayla Harris to identify Carlton as a destination club, I think is a real endorsement for the playing group and the culture they’ve built and the way they’ve gone about building this program.”

KEEPING’S PATHWAY TO CARLTON

THE first encounter Keeping had with women’s footy was incidental.

He was working at the Calder Cannons as an assistant coach when he noticed a group of teenage girls waiting patiently on the sidelines, as the boys wrapped up their session.

“We’d finished training with the boys and all of a sudden I saw this group of girls running over at about 8:30 at night,” Keeping recalls.

“We’d be done, they’d be sitting off to the side, waiting for a space to come available so they could have a kick. I remember thinking, ‘what’s going on there?’ It sparked my interest. So I stayed out there and whatever they were doing I’d get involved in that.

“I started to realise pretty quickly these were footballers with a blank canvas. They were eager to try whatever you asked them to and that was exciting.”

Carlton coach Damien Keeping talks to his players. Photo: David Crosling Source: News Corp Australia

Keeping then coached the U/18 Youth Girls at Vic Metro, which led to a role at the VFLW Academy through AFL Victoria.

He was then picked to coach the Western Bulldogs in a series of exhibition matches, raising his profile significantly.

Not that Keeping needed it. His CV when it came to women’s footy spoke for itself.

Carlton pounced on Keeping before they’d been handed a licence for the 2017 AFLW competition — something which worked out for both coach and club.

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT DAMO

ONE of the most refreshing aspects of the AFLW has been the authenticity of players.

They’re open, seldom speak in cliches and are unafraid to show their personality.

Take Stevens as an example. When the running defender left Collingwood she said she was looking for a greater challenge and that Carlton could provide just that.

“Carlton for me was an easy decision when I was able to see clearly what I wanted in my football,” Stevens told f oxfooty.com.au.

“I watched them from afar last season and I could tell they were building something special.”

Keeping had previously coached Stevens in exhibition matches and so the two already had a pre-existing relationship. The reunion wasn’t preordained, but there was certainly a rationale and a formula behind it.

The Harris trade, however, was not only more complex, but harder to explain.

“It’s only been over the last couple of months that we’ve gotten to know each other,” Keeping says.

In a four-way deal, Harris finally found her way to Carlton — her preferred Victorian club, in what was another huge endorsement for the Blues.

But Keeping says it wasn’t straightforward. While there was no doubting Harris’ talent and potential, it was essential her arrival wouldn’t rock the boat.

After all, he would be moving on Bella Ayre (Brisbane), Nat Exon (Brisbane) and Bianca Jakobsson (Melbourne) — all integral players in Carlton’s inaugural side.

Tayla Harris. Source: Supplied

“We’ve done a lot of work understanding Tayla because I think it’s important,” Keeping says.

“We value what Tayla is going to bring to us on the field, but we needed to make sure Tayla was right for Carlton and Carlton was right for Tayla.

“We did a lot of work with Tayla and her family to ensure that was the right equation and fortunately for us we saw it that way and Tayla saw it that way.

“This club has already started to embrace her. We can’t way to get her down here and involved in the program because we think we’ll add some value to who she is.”

SHAKING THE ‘BOYS’ CLUB’ TAG AT THE BLUES

THAT Carlton has gone from an establishment club to a destination the best AFLW players are putting their hands up to join speaks volumes.

But Keeping is adamant the introduction of an AFLW team isn’t inextricably linked to the Blues shaking their ‘boys’ club’ tag.

“The genuine approach to diversifying the club isn’t just about AFLW,” he says.



“It’s about gender equality in the workplace, the Carlton Respects program.

“AFLW plays a role in diversifying this club. It’s a show piece and a real expressive avenue that we’re able to be a part of, but it’s just one part of what the club is trying to do.”

Still, it hasn’t hurt having people like Keeping at the club.

At Carlton’s AFLW best and fairest award, he thanked everyone who had contributed to the inaugural season.

Not just president Mark LoGiudice. And not just his panel of assistant coaches. But the media team, graphic design team, medical team, high performance team and then some.

“Finding extraordinary people is hard,” Keeping said.

“And when you come across them you want to make sure you value them greatly.”

Keeping has cultivated a team that loves playing for him. And in Stevens and Harris he’s found two more “game changers”.

But in Keeping, Carlton has found someone quite extraordinary. It’s now up to the club to continue to value him greatly.