Clare duo Siofra O’Connell and Aisling Reidy will continue the Irish exodus to AFLW next year after penning rookie contracts with Melbourne based Carlton Football Club for the 2025 season.
The Door-Barefield teammates and best friends, who attended the University of Limerick together, will join forces with Erone Fitzpatrick and Mayo’s former Ireland basketball international Dayna Finn.
Carlton only won four of their eleven matches this year and will need a significant improvement if they are to qualify for the finals next time around.
“Síofra and Aisling have been impressive over their Gaelic season, and we think they will fit into the elite nature of our Club,” Carlton’s Head of AFLW, Ash Naulty, explained.
“Síofra is a fierce defender and an agile athlete. Her ability to be competitive in the air and at ground level, combined with her strength, acceleration and defensive awareness, is going to be a dangerous addition to our side.
“Aisling is a composed athlete and performs well in big moments. Her versatility on field and her ability to transition the ball from defence to attack and contribute to scoring opportunities we see transferring to many exciting moments for our Club.”
In other news the Adelaide Crows have confirmed that they are “working through” Amy Boyle-Carr’s status for next season.
The Donegal star is out of contract after playing in six of the Crows eleven regular season matches this year.
No announcement has yet been made as to whether the three-time Ulster champion will return to the preliminary finalists next year and if she will complete a full pre-season.