The team spent recently three days at a pre-season training camp, at YMCA Camp Wyuna, where players were put through their paces ahead of next month’s season opener.
General Manager Nicole Graves said it was their first-ever pre-season camp, and proved to be the perfect setting.
“We’ve had a bit of footy and a bit of rain and a bit of sun, we’ve had everything, which really suits because these girls play in summer and so the heat and the humidity has been really good for us,” Graves said.
“The team at YMCA has been brilliant, they’ve really looked after us.
“This camp is what we thought was required to keep the girls together and keep them connected as a team… It really sets up good relationships and makes them bond better.
“We have 11 new players coming in from the draft, a third of the team, so it’s really important that they get to know each other and it’s also good for new coach Daniel Harford to get to know them and see what they can do.
“We only have two weeks break for Christmas, we have a month of training then they start in the first week of February.”
Carlton is the latest in a growing list of elite sporting teams choosing Queenscliff for their pre-season training, because of the amenities on offer.
“It’s good for us because we can do the recovery in the beach, it’s still close enough to Melbourne and people have been fantastic around the town,” Graves said.
“We’re really lucky and there’s a lot of teams coming down here now. We’re already talking about next year.”
Camp Wyuna Manager Andrew Kidd said a growing number of clubs, both elite and community, were chosing Queenscliff for training camps.
"We have a perfect mix of parks, sporting facilities, running and walking paths and of course the beach to base a good mix of activities around."