Dublin’s All-Ireland champion, Jennifer Dunne, is set to make her debut in the Australian Football League (AFLW) for the Brisbane Lions.
Following her crucial role in Dublin’s victory over Kerry, Dunne joined the Brisbane Lions, who were runners-up in the previous season. She will hit the oval for her inaugural match as the Lions take on the Sydney Swans.
⭐️FINAL DESTINATION⭐️
The LAST of our☘️33 IRISH AFLW PLAYERS ☘️ have landed in Australia for 2023 🇦🇺
Best of Luck to Jennifer Dunne at @lionsaflw 🙌
What a few days for Jen, after winning an All Ireland with Dublin on Sunday, & a few days celebrating straight to Brisbane pic.twitter.com/Ig2ZKnkhaU
— AFLW Ireland (@aflw_ireland) August 18, 2023
Dunne is one of six Irish players set to showcase their skills at the Brighton Homes Arena near Brisbane, alongside Tipperary’s Orla O’Dwyer, who is also part of the Brisbane Lions team.
The Sydney Swans will field four Irish players, including Kerry’s Paris McCarthy and Julie O’Sullivan, Roscommon’s Jenny Higgins, and Tanya Kennedy from Donegal.
Defending champions Melbourne will include Dublin’s Sinead Goldrick and Armagh’s Blaithin Mackin in their team for what appears to be a straightforward encounter against the Western Bulldogs.
The round three clash between the Fremantle Dockers and Hawthorns promises an Irish showdown. The Dockers boast four Irish players, Orlath Lally (Meath), Áine Tighe (Leitrim), Joanne Craig (Roscommon), and Amy Mulholland (Armagh). They will face off against Hawthorns’ Irish duo, Aileen Gilroy (Mayo) and Áine McDonagh (Galway), who currently sit tenth and eighth on the table, respectively.
In other round three fixtures on Sunday, Tipperary’s Paris McCarthy will feature for the West Coast Eagles in their matchup against Carlton, where Erone Fitzpatrick (Laois) is named as an interchange player.
From one Irish to the other. 🇮🇪
A special and proud moment as Julie O’Sullivan presents debutant Paris McCarthy her debut guernsey. #CheerThis pic.twitter.com/5uvtG0URAA
— Sydney Swans AFLW (@SydneySwansAFLW) September 17, 2023
Tyrone’s Cara McCrossan is set to make her AFLW debut for the Gold Coast Suns. She will be joined by Clara Fitzpatrick (Down) and Niamh McLaughlin (Donegal) as they visit Collingwood, a team that includes Mayo’s Sarah Rowe and Aishling Sheridan (Cavan).