Vescio reaches 50-goal milestone, cementing place as AFLW great

Carlton’s Darcy Vescio has made history by becoming the first player in the AFLW competition to kick 50 goals.

At Manuka Oval on Sunday, the forward booted two goals in their side’s 18-point win over the GWS Giants.

The landmark goal came after a 50m penalty was paid against Pepa Randall, who rode Vescio into the ground after they had completed a mark on the lead.

Erin Phillips (46 goals) and Tayla Harris (44) were the two other players in contention for the milestone, with Vescio reaching 50 goals from 47 AFLW games.

Vescio was the AFLW’s leading goal kicker in 2021 and 2017, while they were nominated in the All Australian team in the same two years.

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The Carlton marquee player has long been a competition favourite, famous for kicking four goals in the first-ever AFLW game against Collingwood at Princes Park in 2017.

The forward also gained notoriety among fans for their social media post on the same night, which read “wen you laugh togetha cos you know ur gonna smash the patriarchy”.

In the five seasons since, Vescio has attracted a cult following for their sense of humour and creative graphic-design skills.

They are also one of the few Australian rules footballers with Chinese heritage, with their family roots in Hong Kong and Italy — something explored in the Carlton football club documentary Bloodlines, produced in 2018.

Most recently, Vescio became the second AFLW player to reveal that they identified as non-binary, and were most comfortable with they/them pronouns.

Vescio made the announcement via social media and was featured in an uncharacteristically candid and emotional video on the AFLW website, before receiving an outpouring of support from the AFLW community.

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Post-match, Carlton coach Daniel Harford reflected on Vescio’s status as a great of the game.

“I think Darce understands [their] place in the scheme of things,” he said.