[4] In August, the club launched the Carlton College of Sports, a higher education institution in partnership with La Trobe University; it received its first intake of students in 2019 to study sports education diplomas, with much of the program operated out of the redeveloped grandstands at Ikon Park.
[6] CEO Steven Trigg resigned shortly after the 2017 season, and he was replaced by Richmond Chief Customer Officer Cain Liddle.
Kade Simpson stepped down as vice-captain after nine years in the role, but remained in the leadership group.
The rest of the extended leadership group comprised Ed Curnow, who held his place in the group from 2017, and Matthew Kreuzer, Lachie Plowman and (despite being on the rookie list) Alex Silvagni, who were all newly elevated, replacing Dennis Armfield and Bryce Gibbs, who both left the club at the end of 2017.
Carlton made three recruits during the trade period, and entered the 2017 draft with two selections in the top ten.
The club played two full-length practice matches as part of the JLT Community Series.
The John Nicholls Medal, for the best and fairest player of the club, as well as several other awards, were presented on the night.
[48] The following other awards were presented on John Nicholls Medal night:-[48] Charlie Curnow was Carlton's leading goalkicker for the season with 34 goals.
Kade Simpson also placed in the Robert Rose Award for Most Courageous Player, finishing fourth.
Key recruitments to the Carlton AFLW squad in the trade period were Brisbane marquee signing Tayla Harris and Collingwood best-and-fairest winner Nicola Stevens.
Numbers in parentheses represent games played and goals kicked for Carlton in the season.
Updated: 23 October 2017Source(s): [65] The team won its first two matches of the season, before falling dramatically from form to lose its last five games – mostly by wide margins – and finish last in the competition.
Part of the club's on-field fall from grace was attributed to the season-ending knee injury suffered by captain Brianna Davey in round two.
[66][67] Prior to the 2018 season, Carlton was one of six AFL clubs granted a licence in the VFL Women's competition, as part of a significant reconfiguration of that competition which saw all Victorian-based AFL clubs taking a direct or affiliative involvement in a VFLW team.