TWO COVETED GRAND Final spots are up for grabs in the Australian Football League Women’s [AFLW] this weekend.
The preliminary finals, or semi-finals as we’d say here, take place tomorrow and Sunday, with Irish players at each of the four participating sides.
Brisbane Lions and Geelong Cats face off first on Saturday morning, with North Melbourne and Adelaide Crows doing battle early doors Sunday.
This season’s record number of 33 Irish players has been whittled down to 10, with six counties still represented on the other side of the world.
There’s a strong Tipperary influence, in particular, with four semi-finalists hailing from the Premier county, with others flying the flag for Mayo (two), Dublin, Cork, Clare and Donegal.
Here, The 42 look ahead to this weekend’s action.
Brisbane Lions v Geelong Cats
- Saturday, 8.45am Irish time, Hickey Park
Premiers in 2021 and finalists last year, Brisbane are looking to get back on the big stage once again. Orla O’Dwyer and Jennifer Dunne are their Irish players, the Tipperary multi-sport star a particularly vital cog in the machine. O’Dwyer made the move in 2020 and hasn’t looked back, helping the Lions to ’21 glory, becoming the first-ever Irish AFLW All-Australian and hitting the 50-game mark through a typically excellent 2023. Dublin All-Ireland winner Dunne, on the other hand, has really found her rhythm through her debut campaign and will be hoping to make her impact felt off the interchange bench once more tomorrow.
Brisbane will be favourites, but Geelong Cats dumped reigning champions Melbourne out last weekend. They’ll go into the Lions’ Den with belief momentum, and with Tipp talent Aishling Moloney among those enjoying a rich vein of form. Mayo star Rachel Kearns and Anna Rose Kennedy, also of Tipperary, make up their Irish contingent, with all three due to feature. One of ladies football’s top talents, Moloney has impressed through her first season Down Under and starts in the forwards, fresh off a crucial goal last time out. Hard-hitting Kearns and Kennedy are among the interchanges.
In her column for The Irish Independent this week, O’Dwyer detailed her relationship with long-time Tipperary team-mate and “special talent” Moloney — as well as her impact on the AFLW: “I knew she would be brilliant when she came, but I didn’t expect her to be this good so soon.”
Dunne could be tasked with marshalling the Cahir ace, her former team-mate at DCU.
North Melbourne v Adelaide Crows
- Sunday, 4.05am Irish time, North Melbourne Recreation Reserve
Many are finding this one harder to call. Similar to Brisbane, North Melbourne are rested after their original qualifying final victory, but Adelaide Crows are Minor Premiers — or table-toppers at the end of the regular season. The 2017, 2019 and 2022 champions suffered their first defeat of ’23 when they were pipped by the Lions in the opening week of finals, but they are firmly back on track.
Irish duo Niamh Kelly and Yvonne Bonner have played key roles for the Crows. Mayo’s Kelly has been nominated for the 2023 All-Australian squad amidst a stellar season, while Bonner has picked up where she left off after recently returning to AFLW. The Donegal forward kicked two goals in last weekend’s win over Sydney Swans and will be looking to repeat the trick on Sunday, with Kelly also starting in the centre.
Erika O’Shea has caught the eye for North Melbourne in her two seasons to date, with the Cork youngster in from the off against Adelaide. Niamh Martin starts on the interchange bench, while Ailish Considine is absent from the matchday squad. The Clarewoman has struggled with a hamstring injury in recent weeks, so is denied of the opportunity to go up against her former side.
North Melbourne join Geelong in targeting a first-ever Grand Final appearance, with the showpiece due to take place next Sunday.
TG4 will have deferred coverage of both games at 3.15pm and 10.45am respectively, but you can watch them live on the AFLW app.
