Three Irish women have today been anointed in the All-Australian (All-Star equivalent) AFLW team after the initial squad of 42 players was whittled down to 21.
Aisling McCarthy, Aishling Moloney and Aileen Gilroy were named on the half-forward line after their outstanding seasons. The Irish trio were among a dozen players to receive All-Australian selection for the first time.
Gilroy is the first Irish woman in history to win an LGFA All-Star as well as All-Australian honours. She joined the North Melbourne Kangaroos in 2020 before becoming Hawthorn’s first Irish recruit in 2022. The Mayo ace was runner-up in the club’s best and fairest player awards in her debut season and has since progressed to become one of the first names in their starting sixteen.
Tipperary dual star McCarthy, a former TG4 Intermediate Players Player of the Year, has booted 25 goals in 55 AFLW games for three clubs, the Western Bulldogs, West Coast Eagles, and latterly for the Fremantle Dockers where she has formed part of a formidable partnership alongside Forkhill woman Amy Mulholland.
Moloney, who this year became the first Irish player to finish as the joint leading goal kicker in AFLW, is the only one of the three not to feature in the final’s series following Geelong’s failure to finish in the top eight at the end of the home and away season.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on the play-offs, Moloney (26) has undoutedly established herself as one of the most dangerous forwards in the competition having booted 21 goals this year, more than double her 2023 tally of 10.
Former Galway Ladies footballer Áine McDonagh was unlucky to miss out on All-Australian selection having been named in the initial squad. McDonagh, the winner of Hawthorn’s Most Improved Player of the Year Award in 2023, suffered a gruesome laceration of her hand in the Hawk’s semi-final shock loss to Port Adelaide earlier this month.
Gilroy took pride of place among the All-Australian team who wore their olive-green blazers bearing the Australian coat of arms over their glittering ball gowns on-stage at Melbourne’s Crown Casino.
“I definitely feel settled and there’s always an Irish around the place,’’ Gilroy said.
“We’ve adapted really well, and our coaches have been amazing.
“It’s nice to get dressed up and feel like a girl.”
And Gilroy added:
“It’s different being in a gown.
“The way we finished was definitely heartbreaking, but we had a great season, and it was good to celebrate that.”
McCarthy (10 votes), Moloney (9 votes) and Gilroy (7 votes) all finished in the top 30 on the AFLW Best and Fairest player award count.
Adelaide Crows star Ebony Marinoff, who polled 23 votes, was named the AFLW’s best player for 2024.