This weekend, Donegal’s Amy Boyle-Carr (Adelaide Crows) and Armagh’s Amy Mulholland (Fremantle Dockers) will take centre stage as the only two Ulster women to feature in the AFLW finals series.
On Friday morning, three-time Ulster champion Boyle-Carr is hoping to be involved in the Crows’ qualifying final away to unbeaten premiership favourites, the North Melbourne Kangaroos at Ikon Park in Melbourne.
The Kangaroos have produced the most dominant AFLW regular season in history but when they defeated the Crows (33-41) earlier this season, it was off the back of the host’s failing to take their chances.
Adelaide cannot afford to be as wasteful this time around if they are to cause an upset and qualify for a preliminary final in a fortnight.
A defeat would not be the end of the Crows’ premiership hopes, as they have earned the right to a double chance of winning the Premiership by finishing in the top four.
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They would have to play a semi-final against the winner of Saturday’s elimination final between Fremantle and Essendon in Western Australia next week when Boyle-Carr and Mulholland could go head-to-head for a place in the last four.
Despite being dropped last Friday, Boyle-Carr has impressed in her debut season, with her lively displays as a flying winger either from the start or off the interchange bench, but she will have to raise her game if she is to play a decisive role at the business end of the season.
Fermanagh star Blaithin Bogue has been named as emergency play by the Kangaroos three times this season but is still waiting to make her AFLW debut having only arrived in Australia a fortnight before the season started.
Across the other side of the continent, the Fremantle Dockers have no second chances. They finished outside of the top four and will subsequently have to win four consecutive matches to win the premiership.
Fremantle coach Lisa Webb has warned the rest of the competition that her charges believe they can beat anyone.
Amy Mulholland is a regular starter in the Docker’s starting 16 as a small forward.
“I won’t shy away from the fact that we want to beat any team that we come up against, of course, and there’s no reason why we can’t,” Webb said.
“We love that underdog status.
“The girls believe they can beat anyone and so do I.”
The 2024 AFLW Grand Final is on Saturday November 30 with the venue unconfirmed.