Mayo players to feature heavily in new AFLW season
TG4 have announced that the station will again broadcast weekly matches and highlights from the upcoming Australian Football League Women’s (AFLW) season.
A record 34 Irish players will take the field this season, with 18 counties represented. Mayo lead the pack with six players, with Tipperary a close second with five.
The AFLW competition begins this weekend, with 18 teams battling it out to see who will reach the Grand Final on November 30.
TG4 will broadcast two matches deferred each weekend as well as weekly highlights as part of GAA 2024 on Monday evenings at 8 p.m.
AFL Aussie Rules na mBan starts this Saturday (August 31) at 12 p.m. with Essendon v Freemantle. The full line-up of matches for the first two rounds are as follows: Saturday, August 31 - deferred round one, Essendon v Freemantle; Sunday, September 1 (12.05 p.m.) - deferred round one, Brisbane Lions v Kangaroos; Saturday, September 7 - deferred round two, Melbourne v Brisbane Lions; Sunday, September 8 - deferred round two, St. Kilda v Sydney Swans.
TG4's head of sport Rónán Ó Coisdealbha said: “The growth of the AFLW has been phenomenal and we are excited to be bringing the best action from Australia to viewers in Ireland each week. With so many players from Ireland competing in the competition it is a great opportunity to showcase this growing sport to a free-to-air audience on TG4.”
The 34 Irish players confirmed for the 2024 season are as follows: Mayo - Niamh Kelly (Adelaide Crows), Dayna Finn (Carlton), Sarah Rowe (Collingwood), Rachel Kearns (Geelong Cats), Aileen Gilroy (Hawthorn), Grace Kelly (St. Kilda); Tipperary - Orla O’Dwyer (Brisbane Lions), Aisling McCarthy (Freemantle), Anna Rose Kennedy (Geelong Cats), Aishling Moloney (Geelong Cats), Niamh Martin (North Melbourne); Donegal - Amy Boyle Carr (Adelaide Crows), Niamh McLaughlin (Gold Coast Suns, Tanya Kennedy (Sydney Swans); Armagh - Amy Mulholland (Freemantle), Lauren McConville (Gold Coast Suns), Blaithin Mackin (Melbourne); Dublin - Jennifer Dunne (Brisbane Lions), Sinéad Goldrick (Melbourne); Meath - Orlagh Lally (Freemantle), Vikki Wall (North Melbourne); Leitrim - Áine Tighe (Freemantle), Eilish O’Dowd (GWS Giants); Kerry - Paris McCarthy (Sydney Swans), Julie O'Sullivan (Sydney Swans); Cavan - Aishling Sheridan (Collingwood); Monaghan - Muireann Atkinson (Collingwood); Roscommon - Joanne Cregg (Freemantle); Offaly - Kate Kenny (Geelong Cats); Down - Clara Fitzpatrick (Gold Coast Suns); Tyrone - Cara McCrossan (Gold Coast Suns); Galway - Áine McDonagh (Hawthorn); Cork - Erika O’Shea (North Melbourne); Fermanagh - Blaithín Bogue (North Melbourne).