Tipperary and Mayo players chosen on prestigious All Australian team

It brings to five the number of Irish players that have received the honour.

By: irishmirror.ie

Nov 25 2024
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Tipperary and Mayo players cho

Three Irish players have been chosen on the prestigious All Australian team as the AFLW season draws to a climax.

Tipperary pair Aishling Moloney (Geelong) and Aisling McCarthy (Fremantle) along with Mayo’s Aileen Gilroy (Hawthorn) all make up the half-forward line on the selection, which is the equivalent of the All Stars scheme in Gaelic games. Indeed, Gilroy becomes the first player to win both an All Australian and an All Star. Her Hawthorn teammate, Aine McDonagh of Galway, was also nominated but didn’t make the final cut.

The trio’s selection brings to five the number of Irish players that have been honoured, with another Tipperary footballer, Orla O’Dwyer, the first to be chosen in 2022 followed by Niamh Kelly of Mayo last year.

A record number of Irish players, 34 in all, were involved in the 2024 AFLW season, something which Moloney, who was joint top scorer with 21 regular season goals, touched on as she received her award.

She said: “You have to commend everyone from the AFLW for welcoming us Irish here with our craziness and we always say that we’re unpredictable but yeah, it’s great, delighted to be here and delighted to be part of this night. It’s an absolute privilege.”

The AFLW season concludes next Sunday with the grand final between Brisbane Lions and North Melbourne in Ikon Park in Melbourne. It’s a repeat of last year’s decider, when Brisbane scored a 44-27 victory.

North have four Irish players on their books - Vikki Wall, Erika O’Shea, Niamh Martin and Blaithín Bogue - with O’Dwyer and Jennifer Dunne bidding for a second successive Premiership with the Lions.

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