Carlton have cut former AFLW captain Kerryn Peterson months after she gave birth to her first child, leaving her with a decision on whether to attempt to continue her career.
Peterson, 33, was moved to Carlton's inactive list for the 2025 season in February after announcing her pregnancy.
She had her son Max in August and relinquished the captaincy to Abbie McKay before sitting out the season.
Peterson had been expected to continue her career next season but has not been offered a contract with Carlton, where she had played 64 games since 2017, including six consecutive seasons without missing a game.
Peterson's departure comes as the Blues, preliminary finalists this year, prepare to heavily hit the trade market.
Adelaide's Brooke Boileau wants a trade to Carlton, who are also chasing contracted GWS defender Cambridge McCormick and Gold Coast pair Claudia Whitfort and Lauren Bella.
Carlton confirmed Peterson would depart and "weigh up her playing future" over the coming weeks in a statement released on Friday.
"As a lifelong supporter of the club, it’s been a privilege to pull on the navy blue jumper and lead the team on and off the field,” Peterson in a club statement.
“I’ll forever be indebted to my teammates, coaches and high performance staff and fans for their support over the journey."
The former WNBL player, Peterson (nee Harrington), switched to football permanently and was picked up by Carlton as a rookie ahead of the 2018 season.
Harrington was an All-Australian defender in 2019, 2020 and 2022, was co-captain between 2020 and 2021 and sole skipper between 2022 and 2024.
“I want to thank Kerryn for her contribution to AFLW,” Calrton coach Mathew Buck said in a statement.
"She has seen a lot and experienced a wide range of changes, the competition has the momentum it does today thanks largely to the effort of people like her.
“She has been a central figure at Carlton ever since she stepped through the door.
"She has always led with such passion and enthusiasm - her care for the monogram and her relentless approach to seeing not just her teammates but our entire club to continue to get better is a key part of the legacy she will leave.
“Her legacy and her Carlton connection will always remain and her impact is a key reason why the next wave of leaders we have coming through are in a great position to take our football club forward.”
Carlton got busy on Friday, trading their 2026 first-round and third-round picks to North Melbourne in exchange for this year's pick No.19 and the Kangaroos' 2026 second-round pick.
Elsewhere, Richmond snapped up untried former North midfielder Georgia Stubs.
The Tigers landed Stubs, 20, and a 2026 fourth-round selection from the Kangaroos in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round draft pick.
