Career : AFLW 2017 - AFLW 2019 -
Debut : Round 1 2017 vs Collingwood
Carlton Player No. 2
Games : 17
Goals : 3
Last Game : Grand Final 2019 v Adelaide Crows
Guernsey No.: 1
Height : 171 cm (5' 6")
DOB : January 13, 1995
Carlton was delighted to have secured Brianna Davey as one of its marquee players for its inaugural women’s team in 2017. The 21-year-old defender began her professional sporting career playing soccer, even making the Matildas national squad as goalkeeper. After winning the 2016 W-League championship with Melbourne City, Davey decided to switch codes, making her one of only a handful of female footballers that have played another sport at the highest level. The versatile defender, who also plays in the midfield, has represented the Bulldogs for the past two years. Davey is known for her sure hands and her ability to break away from packs. She can play in a key position role or as a bullocking mid. Wherever she plays, one thing is for sure: she can blow a game wide open. There’s no doubt she’s going to be an asset for the Old Dark Navy Blues.
Soccer Days
Davey was initially an Aussie rules football player until discovered kicking a ball at age 13 by a soccer scout while on a family holiday. Instantly discovered to have a talent as goalkeeper, Davey made inroads early and made Victorian representative and elite squads. Signed to Melbourne Victory Women as a fifteen-year-old as back-up keeper to Matildas captain Melissa Barbieri in Season 2010–11, she made three appearances in the short 11 match season. Having done enough to prove to head coach Vicki Linton that she was already as talented as the ageing Barbieri, Linton cut Barbieri and installed Davey as the number one choice. She went on to be the standout keeper for the first half of Season 2011–12 of the W-League. Davey has represented Australia in the Young Matildas, often facing-off for the starting position with Brisbane Roar prodigy Casey Dumont. After being involved in national team camps for over a year, Davey made her international debut for the Matildas in a 4–0 friendly victory over Haiti; keeping a clean sheet. After a four-month residency programme, national coach Alen Stajcic surprisingly dropped Davey from Australia's 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup squad. Resurgent veteran Melissa Hudson (née Barbieri) was recalled at Davey's expense In August 2013, Davey agreed to play for Swedish Damallsvenskan club Linköping FC during the Australian off-season. Linköping coach Martin Sjögren required a replacement for Sofia Lundgren, who had a back injury. On signing Davey Sjögren described her as "probably the world's most talented goalkeeper". On 20 August 2015, after five years with Victory, Davey signed a contract with intra-city rivals Melbourne City, becoming the first ever goalkeeper for their newly created W-League side.
After missing the World Cup squad, Davey began playing with the St Kilda Sharks in the Victorian WFL in the 2015 winter. Despite not having played Australian rules football since her early junior days, she was quickly recognised as one of the top midfielders in the competition, also capable of playing as a key defender. She played for the Western Bulldogs in exhibition women's matches in 2015 and 2016, having been the top pick in the 2015 mini-draft held to allocate players for the matches.
After having played both codes in parallel for two years (soccer in summer and Australian rules football in winter), Davey committed to Australian rules football, signing as a marquee player for the Carlton Football Club in the inaugural AFL Women's competition. In January 2017, she was announced as the co-vice-captain of Carlton, alongside Madeleine Keryk. She made her debut in round 1, 2017, in the club and the league's inaugural match at IKON Park against Collingwood. At the end of the season, Davey received her team's nominations for both the AFLW Players’ Most Courageous Award and the AFLW Players’ Most Valuable Player Award, and was also listed in the 2017 All-Australian team. She was awarded the club's inaugural Best & Fairest award in a ceremony in April 2017. Carlton signed Davey for the 2018 season during the trade period in May 2017.
Davey was appointed to captain the Blues in 2018, with inaugural skipper Lauren Arnell and midfielder Sarah Hosking appointed joint vice-captains. After undertaking an extensive process involving coaches, players and key leaders at the Club, the new-look three-player leadership group has been established in the second AFLW pre-season campaign. As one of the Club’s marquee signings in 2016, Davey made an immediate impact in the first AFLW season. As joint vice-captain in the inaugural year, the 22-year-old defender commanded the backline and had a strong on-field presence in the six games she played – ultimately recognised for her efforts in the 2017 AFLW All Australian Team. The Blues with an eye for the future saw Davey as the ideal leader to fulfill this role.
At the end of the 2019 season Bri Davey would transfer to Colingwood's AFLW team.
Recruited from: St Kilda Sharks
Blues lose key defensive duo
Scans have confirmed Carlton defender Sarah Last has ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament during Sunday’s AFLW Round 3 clash against Adelaide at Thebarton Oval. The knee injury will sideline the 22-year-old for the remainder of the season. Senior AFLW coach Damien Keeping said the season-ending injury was disappointing, and the Club would closely support Last through her recovery. “Unfortunately, Sarah will need a knee reconstruction which will put her out for the next 12 months,” Keeping said. “We will get the support network that the Club offers around her and look to get her back in the navy blue next season." Marquee player Brianna Davey was also sent for scans following the Round 3 contest after a knock to her lower back. The injury is expected to keep the versatile defender on the sidelines for at least the next two weeks. “Bri Davey took a knock to her lower back and subsequently sustained a lower back injury. Unfortunately, that will keep her off the field for about two weeks,” Keeping said. The Blues’ AFLW side will battle it out at 11:35am this Saturday, while the AFL side will follow in a Demons double-header at Casey Fields in the JLT Community Series. - Grace Phillips, Carlton Media; February 21, 2017
Davey crowned Herald Sun Player of the Year
Carlton AFLW defender Brianna Davey has been crowned the Herald Sun’s AFLW Player of the Year. Selected by Carlton as a marquee player in 2016, Davey lived up to expectations throughout the Club’s 2017 campaign. As a dominant contributor for the Blues in the inaugural AFLW season, the 22-year-old caught the eye of journalists who have rated her number one. Across the seven-round competition, Davey featured in six of Carlton’s matches to tally 13 votes across the season. Despite sustaining a back injury against Adelaide in Round 3, the former Matildas goalkeeper managed to top the ranks to edge one vote ahead of Melbourne star Daisy Pearce. Fellow AFLW competitors Kern Paxman (Melbourne), Erin Phillips (Adelaide) and Sabrina Frederick-Traub (Brisbane) were each voted in the top five of the competition, after they finished the season with 11, 10 and nine votes, respectively. As the very first recipient of the award, Davey was privileged to be the Herald Sun’s 2017 AFLW Player of the Year. “It’s a pretty big honour and I thank the Herald Sun for their support and coverage of the inaugural AFLW season,” Davey said. “It’s been a crazy journey and the support throughout the season from the public and supporters has been fantastic. “Women’s football will only continue to grow and I can’t wait for next season already.” - Carlton Media; March 22, 2017
Davey crowned AFLW B&F
Cross-code Carlton star Brianna Davey has tonight been recognised for her outstanding efforts throughout the 2017 AFLW season after being named the Club’s inaugural Best and Fairest winner. The defender finished this evening’s count on 53 votes, ahead of key defender Danielle Hardiman (31) and imposing ruckman Alison Downie (28) at the Blues’ AFLW Best and Fairest, an evening proudly presented by Anaconda. Across six games this season, the star defender averaged 19 disposals, nine handballs and 10 kicks. The 21-year-old is one of only a handful of female footballers that have played another sport at the highest level. Hailing from a soccer background, Davey joined the Matildas national squad as a goalkeeper, before signing with the Blues as a marquee player in 2016. Senior coach Damien Keeping lauded the on-and-off field achievements of the versatile star. “Brianna has truly exceeded our expectations both on and off the field this season,” Keeping said. “Her dedication and commitment to the team is evident in everything she does and she is a very deserving winner of this inaugural award. We have high hopes for Brianna that she will continue to develop at the Club and continue to be a positive role model for those who come through the ranks - we know she will have a long career at the Carlton Football Club.” Runner-up Hardiman trailed by 22 votes at the final count. The gun defender returned from an injury that interrupted the second half of her 2016 VFL campaign, to be taken by Carlton at pick 35 in the NAB AFLW National Draft. In 2017, the 22-year-old averaged 11 disposals, two marks and nine kicks. Downie placed third overall in the count with 28 votes. Her elite tap work throughout the 2017 season earned the ruckman a well-deserved inclusion in the 40-player squad for the inaugural AFLW All-Australian team. The 32-year-old averaged 13 hit-outs and seven disposals across the seven games throughout the season. - Carlton Media: April 27 2017
Davey second in AFLWPA MVP
Carlton’s Darcy Vescio and Brianna Davey have featured within the top polling players of the AFL Players' Association awards announced on Monday. Selected by Carlton as marquee players in 2016, Davey and Vescio were stand-out performers of the Blues’ squad in the inaugural AFLW competition and have managed to make an impression on their league counterparts. As the season’s leading goalkicker, Vescio tallied 132 votes to finish third in the peer-voted Most Valuable Player award taken out by Adelaide co-captain Erin Phillips on 204 votes. Davey – the Herald Sun’s 2017 AFLW Player of the Year – received 57 votes in the Most Courageous category to finish second behind Phillips’ fellow Adelaide co-captain Chelsea Randall on 80 votes. Melbourne utility Daisy Pearce was awarded the league’s Best Captain after she totalled 63 votes. Every AFLW player will be invited to the AFL Players’ MVP Awards in September later this year to celebrate the 2017 male and female award winners. - Jacqueline Guldon, Carlton Media
Most Courageous:
Chelsea Randall (Adelaide – 80)
Brianna Davey (Carlton – 57)
Jessica Dal Pos (GWS Giants – 22)
Bitter bidding war erupts between Carlton and Collingwood over Brianna Davey
A bitter bidding war has erupted between Carlton and Collingwood over the services of star defender Bri Davey. The Blues are not letting their captain go to their rivals without a fight, but the Magpies feel as if they have done enough to woo the former Matildas goalkeeper with an overall package that’s understood to be worth as much as $120,000 for the year and includes a full-time job. It’s believed Carlton made its final pitch to Davey late last week and the 23-year-old is still weighing up the two options with a deadline fast approaching. Davey has a teaching background and insiders believe she could be set to fill the vacancy left by Meg Hutchins in the administration wing of the club, while also playing a more prominent midfield role, rather than defence, when she recovers from her knee reconstruction. The Blues will not part ways with their injured captain easily and will likely ask for a top level midfielder plus draft picks in return if she demands to be traded to Collingwood. But a source close to the Magpies confirmed a request for AFLW Rising Star winner and best and fairest Chloe Molloy would not even be entertained. The tit-for-tat between the arch rival clubs — at least from an AFLW perspective — stretches back to last season when inaugural Collingwood best and fairest Nicola Stevens was poached by the Blues in a trade that sent Carlton’s first, second and third round draft selections to the Magpies. Retaining players has been no easy task for Carlton since they sacked Damien Keeping, lost their list manager Graham Burgen and finished outright bottom of the AFLW ladder. The dearth of senior women’s football administrators has left football boss Andrew McKay to pick up the pieces and several players anxious about the future. While key Blues such as Tayla Harris, Darcy Vescio and vice-captain Sarah Hosking have not explicitly threatened to leave, they are all understood to be keeping a close eye on who the club appoints as its new coach and head of women’s football, as are many others in the playing group. Vescio in particular had an underwhelming campaign compared to 2017, but was played further forward than she had become accustomed to in the AFLW’s inaugural season. Further complicating matters for a club without any women’s football coaching hierarchy is the introduction of North Melbourne and Geelong, each of whom will be permitted to submit a wishlist of players they want to poach from the existing eight clubs. While it is not yet clear exactly how the AFL will compensate clubs who lose star players, the league is expected to formalise arrangements by the end of the month. Meanwhile, Carlton has upped the ante to appoint a new coach after advertising the job on SEEK.com.au last month. It’s understood the club has made contact with at least two candidates. Tom Morris FOX Sports.
Career Highlights
2017 - Vice-Captain2017 - Best & Fairest
2017 - Herald Sun Player of the Year
2017 - 2nd Most Courageous AFLW
2017 - AFLW All Australian Team; Defender
2017 - Victorian State Representation
2018 - Captain
2019 - Captain
2019 - AFLW Most Courageous Award; 3rd third place
2019 - AFLW Awards; Best Captain
2019 - Equal Best & Fairest