BENDIGO'S Kerryn Harrington admits to being "pleasantly surprised" at earning her third AFLW All-Australian selection.
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Harrington - the Carlton captain - was named on the interchange of the All-Australian team announced at the AFLW Awards on Tuesday night.
The 30-year-old defender has now been named an AFLW All-Australian in 2022, 2020 (half-back) and 2019 (half-back) having initially started on the Blues' rookie list in 2018 after switching sports from basketball.
"To be honest, I'm pleasantly surprised at being selected in the team," Harrington said on Wednesday.
"Perhaps as you get older and more experienced in your career you probably judge your own performance a little more harsher.
Perhaps as you get older and more experienced in your career you probably judge your own performance a little more harsher
- Kerryn Harrington
"And I took on the captaincy solo this year, so perhaps I was a bit more distracted in terms of just trying to be the best leader that I could be, so I probably didn't focus too much on my own performance.
"So that's probably where the surprise has come from as much as anything else.
"I'm obviously very proud and for the club to have Mimi Hill win the Rising Star as well was fantastic and speaks to the development of our players."
Harrington played all 10 games for the Blues this season - taking her career tally to 42 - and says she is continuing to relish her role in defence.
"I love it down there; it's a selfless role being a defender and the group of six defenders we've got has a great bond," Harrington said.
"We're the most experienced line in the group and with that the most consistent in terms of stability; it's definitely a challenge every week, but one that I relish."
Harrington's Blues missed the finals this season, finishing 8th with a 4-6 record.
"It was disappointing to miss the finals, but when you look at it in perspective we've got the youngest list in the competition and with youth comes inexperience," Harrington said.
"The draw didn't do us any favours playing five of the six finalists, including the two teams playing off in the grand final this week (Adelaide and Melbourne).
"But I thought we finished the season well, which gives me a lot of confidence moving forward."
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