THINGS could have been very different for Amelia Velardo in 2025. But instead of dwelling on what could’ve been, or how things were, she’d much rather focus her attention on where everything is placed now.
And all things considered, they’re going pretty great.
When the childhood Bluebagger runs out onto IKON Park this afternoon, it’ll be her ninth consecutive game of the campaign, having only missed the Round 1 win against her former side Collingwood due to a delayed pre-season through injury.
While she didn’t miss a game in the 2023 season, Velardo regards this as her “most enjoyable year”, having now chalked up 40 games at the level.
“For me personally, just playing is really fun.
“As a group, we’re so connection and the belief this year has rung true throughout the whole side. You’re running out there not just manifesting that you can do it and speaking it out into the world – we’re running out there knowing we’ve done the work, knowing we can perform and knowing the type of footy we can play.
“This year, I’ve found a good balance within my footy of finding joy in the game again. That was probably lacking at times last year.”
As Velardo credits her team and club for not riding the rollercoaster of the season, it’s that love of the game which has been the ride with plenty of ups and downs for Carlton’s No.1.
It’s been a battle which she concedes she has struggled with, particularly when in and out of the side whether due to injury or form. But she treats it as no coincidence that in a year where she finds herself playing footy with a smile on her face, the rewards have come.
“We speak about the love of the game a lot in our group. It’s something I’ve reflected on, because I’ve really had a love-hate relationship with football over the last few years with injuries and the like. We talk about when you love the game, the game loves you back.
“I really struggled with that. Even in pre-season, I was having the time of my life, feeling good and confident – and then I’m out for eight weeks because my toe couldn’t handle it! It’s such an emotional rollercoaster at times, but when I’ve found joy in my training and pushing myself and wanting to show up every day to see how hard I could challenge myself, I started to reap the rewards.”
So what brought about the mindset shift?
“It’s the aspect of footy not lasting forever. It’s gone from playing with a fear of what the consequences could be to changing my mindset: it’s approaching every week making sure I don’t have any regret when looking back.
“It’s important to reflect on your younger self. I did a bit of journaling at the start of the year where I’d write down how I was feeling… I read it back now and think ‘wow, that’s chalk and cheese to the last couple of years’. Being proud of myself has been a really big thing this year.
“It’s also the acknowledgment that what we have right now is so special. You can easily get caught up in the fear of not playing or making mistakes, but it’s staying true to your self-belief, knowing what you can do and how that can contribute to the side…
“… Plus, winning makes things so much fun!”
I’ve really had a love-hate relationship with football over the last few years with injuries and the like. We talk about when you love the game, the game loves you back.
You only need to look at the reaction of Velardo after the Round 3 win over Brisbane to see just how fun it can be.
That was Velardo’s first win of the season, and she concedes she “went a bit wild that night” – but that was reciprocated by her teammates in kind. For Velardo and the Blues, it was confirmation of what they’d been working towards.
“It was almost like it had been something we’d been working on for so long, and it just clicked. We challenged Hawthorn the week before, but it was almost that moment from ‘we think we’re good enough’ to ‘we know we’re good enough’. And that’s exciting.
“I had so much fun that day, I really did.”
Exciting and fun are two of the main words that any onlooker of Carlton’s AFLW side would use to describe the team this season. Already registering their most wins in a home-and-away campaign, the Blues now have three more games in the home-and-away season to keep their 2025 alive.
And she’s hoping that the fun remains, that the Blues’ extremely watchable brand of football remains and the enthusiasm of the team remains.
“Who excites me? It’s hard to go past Poppy Scholz. She said she was born in 2006 the other day, that was a bit of a reality check. We’ve got a really great relationship… she’s so exciting and going to be scarily good in the future, plus she’s got the purest heart as well.
“And Maddy [Hendrie], I would love to reciprocate the love she gave me last week! When I read that… my parents were pumped, let me tell you. We’re so close off the field, and when you get to play footy with your best friends, it’s so fun. Having her around makes me a better person and player: she always reminds me to find the joy in life off the field, especially when things start to feel a bit serious.”