IN a new exciting collaborative countdown, Rookie Me Central has teamed up with other independent media organisations to bring a 2022 AFL Women’s Top 50 Countdown. Every weekday from now until December 17, a new player will be named starting from 50th down to 1st, stemming from a combined eight Top 50 submissions. Among those who submitted Top 50s include Siren Sport‘s Gemma Bastiani, Women’s Australian Rules Football (WARF) Radio‘s Peter Holden, and a combined Outer Sanctum team’s Top 50.

Today we continue our countdown with number 21, Carlton Women’s Darcy Vescio.

Darcy Vescio

Carlton, Carlton VFLW

League/s: AFLW, Vflw

Season/s: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, S7, 2023, 2024

• Games [tot]: 70

• Goals [tot]: 63

• Disposals [avg]: 8.5

• Marks [avg]: 2

• Tackles [avg]: 2.4

• Cont. Poss: 5.3

• Uncont. Poss: 3

• Clearances: 0.3

• Inside 50s: 1.4

• Rebound 50s: 0.4

An inaugural Blue, Vescio was a marquee signing before the inaugural season and enjoyed a revival in 2021 after a quieter few seasons. She burst out of the blocks in 2017 as one of most damaging players in the competition, and whilst her next few years were not quite as dominant from an individual perspective, she was a crucial contributor. It led to her remarkable 2021 year, where it was somewhat of a foreshadowing with the forward named in the leadership group.

She is ever reliable in front of goal, and in 2021 it was no different. She broke the record for the most career goals in 2021, and currently sits at 44 goals to her name in her career. To put this feat in perspective, Vescio kicked 28 goals in her first four seasons at the club, and only achieved double-figure goals once, in her debut year.

After a quiet 2020 on the scoresheet, Vescio quadrupled her goal tally for the season in 2021. She kicked 16 goals for the season, which included a bag of five goals against Gold Coast in Round 8.

Vescio’s accolades came thick and fast in 2021. Named in the All Australian team for 2021, Vescio also won the leading goalkicker for the competition, and she capped off her season by winning the Carlton best and fairest award.

In terms of this countdown, Vescio was an unanimous vote across all eight lists. Vescio was voted as high as eighth and as low as 34th, though was predominantly favoured in the 20s, which culminated in her 21st placed finish.

ROOKIE ME CENTRAL’S 2022 AFL WOMEN’S TOP 50

#50 Ash Brazill (Collingwood) | ARTICLE
#49 Tayla Harris (Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#48 Courtney Hodder (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#47 Eden Zanker (Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#46 Kirsty Lamb (Western Bulldogs) | ARTICLE
#45 Tyanna Smith (St Kilda) | ARTICLE
#44 Breanna Koenen (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#43 Dana Hooker (West Coast) | ARTICLE
#42 Georgie Prespakis (Geelong) | ARTICLE
#41 Breann Moody (Carlton) | ARTICLE
#40 Hayley Miller (Fremantle) | ARTICLE
#39 Emma King (North Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#38 Dakota Davidson (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#37 Meghan McDonald (Geelong) | ARTICLE
#36 Stacey Livingstone (Collingwood) | ARTICLE
#35 Daisy Pearce (Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#34 Rebecca Beeson (GWS) | ARTICLE
#33 Sarah Allan (Adelaide) | ARTICLE
#32 Kerryn Harrington (Carlton) | ARTICLE
#31 Janelle Cuthbertson (Fremantle) | ARTICLE
#30 Emily Bates (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#29 Katie Brennan (Richmond) | ARTICLE
#28 Gemma Houghton (Fremantle) | ARTICLE
#27 Kate Hore (Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#26 Ellie McKenzie (Richmond) | ARTICLE
#25 Ruby Schleicher (Collingwood) | ARTICLE
#24 Ash Riddell (North Melbourne) | ARTICLE
#23 Ally Anderson (Brisbane) | ARTICLE
#22 Brittany Bonnici (Collingwood) | ARTICLE
#21 Darcy Vescio (Carlton)

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