DUBLIN DUO SINÉAD Goldrick and Lauren Magee will make their first Australian Football League Women’s [AFLW] appearances of 2022 tomorrow, having been drafted into the Melbourne starting team to face Richmond.
The pair were among a group unavailable for Round One under the AFL’s Health and Safety protocols, and watched the Dees’ comprehensive win at Western Bulldogs from home.
But the multiple All-Ireland winners returned to training on Monday night and have earned spots alongside one another in the half-back line for tomorrow’s historic clash [8.10am Irish time].
Melbourne and Richmond, both chasing back-to-back wins, will face off at Swinburne Centre for the first time in AFLW history, with tickets for the clash all sold out.
It’s the first of seven games this weekend, with heavy Irish influence expected once again.
11 of the 14 players from these shores involved played last weekend — Adelaide Crows’ Clarewoman Ailish Considine was the other absentee alongside Goldrick and Magee — with Cora Staunton’s historic appearance, Bríd Stack and Áine Tighe’s long-awaited debuts and Orla O’Dwyer’s powerful performance for reigning champions Brisbane Lions among the headline makers.
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Áine Tighe stars for Fremantle on long-awaited debut after difficult road with injury
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Cora Staunton at the double as Bríd Stack makes winning AFLW debut
Team news is yet to follow elsewhere, but Sunday’s showdown between Fremantle (Tighe) and Greater Western Sydney Giants (Stack and Staunton) is certainly one to watch.
There’ll be full deferred coverage of that one on TG4.
AFLW Round Two fixtures
Friday
- Richmond Tigers v Melbourne FC, 8.10am
Saturday
- Collingwood v St Kilda, 4.10am
- Brisbane Lions v Western Bulldogs, TBD
- Geelong Cats v Carlton, 8.10am
Sunday
- West Coast v Gold Coast, 1.40am
- Adelaide Crows v North Melbourne, 4.10am
- Fremantle v Greater Western Sydney Giants, 6.10am
Irish players involved in the 2022 AFLW season
- Orla O’Dwyer (Brisbane Lions / Tipperary)
- Aisling McCarthy (West Coast Eagles / Tipperary)
- Grace Kelly (West Coast Eagles / Mayo)
- Niamh Kelly (West Coast Eagles / Mayo)
- Aileen Gilroy (North Melbourne / Mayo)
- Rachel Kearns (Geelong Cats / Mayo)
- Sarah Rowe (Collingwood / Mayo)
- Aishling Sheridan (Collingwood / Cavan)
- Cora Staunton (GWS Giants / Mayo)
- Bríd Stack (GWS Giants / Cork)
- Áine Tighe (Fremantle / Leitrim)
- Sinéad Goldrick (Melbourne / Dublin)
- Lauren Magee (Melbourne / Dublin)
- Ailish Considine (Clare / Adelaide Crows)
Alongside TG4′s coverage on Saturday (5.15pm) and Sunday (11.15am), you can stream every game live on the AFL Women’s official app and the AFL Live app.
