WESTERN Bulldogs’ captain Dominique Carbone is the queen of the VFL Women’s competition after she won the 2024 Lambert-Pearce Medal last night as the Best and Fairest of the entire competition.

Speaking mere minutes after her crowning last night, Carbone said that it had “not just yet” sunk in that she had won.

“It’s an incredible honour and I’m extremely humbled to be the recipient of this award, especially in such a great season and great competition this year, so really humbled,” she said.

She confessed that she did not believe she could win for most of the night.

“I can tell you right now, right until that last vote count, I still believed somebody could get full votes in the last vote” she said, when asked at what point she thought she could win.

“I wasn’t expecting to get up there, just as purely as the calibre of competition this year. It was so great and I think that’s a massive credit to women’s footy and the way that it’s kind of leading at the moment.

“So, it’s a massive achievement and I really hope the competition keeps growing because it’s only making progress. More people want to watch and more people want to come and be a part of the sport and it’s just growing and it’s something that we should be all really proud of.”

She also did not think it was possible to sum up what she had achieved this season, taking her side all the way to the Grand Final in her first year as captain alongside winning the Lambert-Pearce Medal.

“I’ve been extremely grateful for the support that I’ve had around me with lots of senior players and I think a year of growth as well coming from me. I’m just extremely grateful for the experience and also the support that I’ve had from the club but also my family and those leaders around me away from the club have really stepped up and helped me along the way.”

Carbone is not even 23 yet, but has achieved a lot in her football career already.

“I think when you put it like that it sounds a bit different” Carbone said, reflecting on her career. “But I think for me it’s just putting one step at a time, in front of the other and really just trying to get better one day at a time and really just trying to be the best version of myself and really grateful to have those people around me that push me to be the best version of me.”

She has had a taste of the AFLW, and is hoping to get back there in the future but that is not her ultimate goal at the moment.

“I think that’s always an overseeing goal but like I said, I think for me it’s more prioritizing the goals of how I can be the best version of myself and put my best foot forward and really just enjoy my footy and making sure that I’m being the best version of me.”

Carbone was not the only Bulldog to win an award last night, with team mate Keeley Hardingham winning the Rising Star award.

The captain was “exceptionally proud” of her team mate winning the award.

“Keeley comes in leaps and bounds and is a superstar of her own and I just can’t wait to see the development of her and I really hope to see her in an AFLW list. I think that she’s got exceptional potential and I really hope that the right people feed into that.”