Hawthorn AFLW young gun Dominique Carbone has praised the support of the Hawks community in the lead-up to its highly anticipated Round 1 clash with Essendon at Marvel Stadium.

Originally set to be played at Port Melbourne’s North Port Oval, unprecedented demand for ticket sales saw the game get moved to the larger stadium.

Carbone said Hawthorn fans and supporters should be proud of this result.

“The support that we’ve been receiving from the wider community all around Australia has just been amazing,” Carbone told ABC Radio Darwin.

“To sell the game out is a great opportunity for us to highlight the strength of women’s footy and really push ourselves to new lengths.

“Women’s footy being played at a stadium is a new step forward for AFLW and women’s footy across the country.”

Speaking about the pre-season overall, Carbone said the challenge of stepping up to AFLW standards was exciting.

“It’s a little different to the NTFL pre-season that I’m used to,” she said.

“It’s been a bit of a step up with the amount of running that we’re doing but it’s been an experience that I’ve absolutely adored.

“I push myself to new levels and the club has been absolutely amazing.”

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