AFL side Carlton’s remarkable late-season resurgence has unearthed another exciting young talent, with 22-year-old defender Billy Wilson named the club’s fourth Rising Star nominee of the current campaign. Wilson’s nomination comes off the back of a standout performance against ladder-topping Fremantle in Round 24, capping a stunning breakout season that few could have predicted when head coaching changes rocked the club earlier this year.
Before new coach Josh Fraser took over the senior role from Michael Voss, Wilson had only featured in a single senior game for the Blues. But under Fraser’s leadership, which has been credited with erasing the culture of fear of failure that had lingered under the previous regime, Wilson has evolved into one of Carlton’s most reliable and impactful players across the halfback line. He is now part of a wave of promising young talent including Jagga Smith, Harry Dean and Talor Byrne that is driving the club’s return to finals contention.
What many fans do not know is that four-fifths of this exciting young cohort already live and breathe Carlton football together on a daily basis. Wilson shares a home just a short walk from Carlton’s training ground with teammates Harry Dean, Talor Byrne and Flynn Young, and the group has developed a quirky pre-game ritual that they credit for their consistent on-field form: a shared pesto rigatoni pasta with chicken ahead of every match.
“We’ve stuck with the same routine all season, and we’ve won a lot of games eating this pasta – it’s just pesto rigatoni with some chicken,” Wilson explained in an interview after his Rising Star nomination was announced. “I jump in to help here and there, but Flynn Young is definitely the head chef of the house – he loves cooking for all of us.”
Off the field, the young group keeps a surprisingly low profile compared to many young professional athletes. Wilson says aside from Dean and Byrne occasionally zooming around the house to burn off excess energy late in the day, the household is quiet and focused on preparation. “We’re a pretty cruisy, measured group,” Wilson said. “Most nights before a game, we just end up sitting down to watch some old footy together. We don’t get up to much crazy stuff, that’s for sure. We’re all just really excited to be here, and we can’t wait for what comes next.”
Carlton will now face Melbourne in a wildcard final this week, a knockout match that marks the club’s return to finals football after years of rebuilding. Wilson acknowledges that this weekend’s contest carries more weight than a standard regular-season game, but says the entire squad is ready to lean on the roaring support of Carlton fans to push for an upset win.
“At the end of the day, our job is still just to go out and play the footy we’ve been playing,” Wilson said. “All we need is for our supporters to get behind us, and that’s what’s really driving us right now. We’re ready for the challenge.”