Carlton key defender Harry Dean has become the talk of the town this week after he produced a brilliant performance in his first final.
The recently crowned AFLPA Best First Year Player has featured in 21 games this season and has grown week on week as a key defender. Dean has been crucial to the Blues' mid-season form flip and will again be important against Geelong in the Elimination Final.
During the early moments of last Saturday's Wildcard Final win over Melbourne, Blues stars, including skipper Patrick Cripps, were seen fumbling as the Dees got the jump in front of 91,000 at the MCG.
Dean, however, looked as calm and composed as a 10-year veteran as he patrolled the backline and did his best to keep Carlton in it.
The 18-year-old never seems to be nervous no matter the occasion. He probably wouldn't even break a sweat in a game of Russian roulette.
But Dean denies that theory, claiming he feels the nerves just like any of his teammates.
"I get a bit nervous sometimes, but I just remember someone saying to me, 'It means you care'," Dean said.
"I was pretty nervous on the weekend, but as soon as I run out there, I just know that my teammates are there to support me, and they're there; we're there for each other. So, yeah, didn't really have a lot of nerves. I just enjoyed it really."
The Blues defender has already become a cult figure at Carlton for his competitive nature, celebrations with the crowd for spoils and clear talent and skill.
Talking with several Carlton players, Dean is noted as a larrikin off the field, with his humour and unique nature coming to the fore in his first year at the Blues.
"Most people don't see me off the field. On the field, I'm pretty serious and straightforward, but off the field, I like to have fun and have a bit of a laugh. I'm a bit different. But, yeah, it's just me. I like to have a bit of fun and have a smile," he said.
Having been taken with Pick 3 in the 2025 National Draft thanks to a father-son bid by the Blues (his father Peter donned the navy Blue 248 times and was a premiership player), Dean has impressed his new club and the league for how quickly he has adapted to being a top-quality key defender at AFL level.
Off the field, Dean lives with fellow first-year player Talor Byrne, 2023 draftee Billy Wilson and 2025 mid-season draftee Flynn Young.
While 24-year-old Young is the patriarch of the house, Dean admitted he and Byrne remain the pups who get the 'zoomies' at 9pm on the dot every night.
"I don't know how we do it. Every time I check the time, it's always around (9pm). So, I don't know what it is, but yeah, (Byrne and I) get a bit excited. We run around the house, get a bit fiery at each other sometimes. I don't know why we do.
"(Byrne is tough to tackle); he's very powerful, very powerful. Yeah, I can't fight back with him."
