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Less than four months on from becoming the face of the AFLW's collective bargaining agreement negotiations, Darcy Vescio is proud of the progress made.
As she prepares to lace up the boots for her fourth AFLW season opener, Carlton forward Darcy Vescio can be proud of the impact she's had on a competition still in its infancy.
In October, amid collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, Vescio was part of a group of players who, concerned at a lack of consultation by the AFL Players' Association, engaged workers' rights firm Maurice Blackburn Lawyers to assess their options.
The 26-year-old was among those publicly named in reports after the initial CBA proposal was knocked back, finding herself the face of the 30 per cent of AFLW players who had rejected the deal.
"It was a little bit odd. I guess you do feel a little bit targeted, so it can feel like you've got a bit of pressure on your shoulders," Vescio told AAP.
"But obviously even though a few names were leaked, we were representing a larger group of players - so I was pretty proud to represent those girls as well."
Vescio found support in her Carlton teammates, who backed her to the hilt throughout the process.
Three weeks after the original CBA was rejected, 98 per cent of players signed off on a revised version, which included a commitment to an independent review of the competition.
"It was pretty amazing. I felt like I was a messenger and just giving as much information to them as possible and found most of the time we were on the same page," Vescio said.
"In the end, we got a few good gets, I think, so it will be interesting to see what comes of that."
In retrospect, the CBA negotiations have shaped as a moment of maturity for the AFLW as a competition - one Vescio hopes will be built upon in years to come.
"I feel like every year (the AFLW is) growing that little bit more and it's because we keep pushing it forward," she said.
"It's awesome to see it evolve. I can't wait to see what happens in the next CBA, then see what happens in 10 years and hopefully look back with a smile and know that all the work we've done now, it's been going towards something."