LAST UPDATE | 1 Jun 2022
LADIES FOOTBALL STARS Vikki Wall and Erika O’Shea have signed contracts with North Melbourne, the AFLW side have confirmed.
Meath’s Wall, the reigning Footballer of the Year, and O’Shea of Cork, who was named on last year’s All-Star team, were among the leading players in last year’s championship.
24-year-old Wall had interest from a number of clubs Down Under. She agreed a deal with the Kangaroos after rejecting Hawthorn.
The Meath powerhouse is expected to make the move after their All-Ireland campaign.
“Vikki is a player we’ve been keen to get to North Melbourne for a while, and she obviously had a great deal of interest from AFLW clubs. We’re delighted that she’s committed to playing at North,” said AFLW talent and performance manager Rhys Harwood told the club’s website.
“Vikki is a highly credentialed player whose work-rate and desire set her apart. We’ve been really impressed with her power and speed, as well as the intensity and physicality she plays with.
“The impact she has on games with Meath is outstanding, her ability to create attacking opportunities and break the game open in Gaelic are significant. She has a number of assets we think will allow her to become a highly impactful player in AFLW.”
O’Shea is only 19 and has impressed in her two seasons at senior level with the Rebels.
Harwood believes her versatility will be a major asset to North Melbourne.
“We’ve been really impressed with the traits and impact Erika has shown with Cork. Her speed, agility and ability to cover the ground stand out, as well as her capacity to find a balance between defending and attacking in Gaelic and we think her attributes will give her scope to play through a variety of positions for us,” he stated.
“At just 19 years of age, Erika has plenty of upside and is a player who we feel can grow with us over a period of time. She can’t wait to arrive in Melbourne and begin her journey.
“Erika’s work ethic and drive to get the best out of herself will serve her well as she transitions across to AFLW. To have achieved an All-Star team selection at her age is particularly impressive, and speaks to her level of talent.
“We are delighted to have both Vikki and Erika come into our program, and we can’t wait to work with them over the coming seasons.”
The duo join North in the wake of Aileen Gilroy’s unexpected departure for Hawthorn.
Meanwhile, Down star Clara Fitzpatrick is set to return to St Kilda’s list. Fitzpatrick was a key defender for the Saints in 2020, playing five games out of a possible six, but missed the 2021 and 2022 seasons due to visa issues and a cruciate ligament knee injury respectively.
