Australia and Ireland have both unveiled the jumper numbers for their respective 25-player teams. And it won’t just be digits on the back of their guernseys.
All the latest news and information for the AFLW Australia v Ireland match on Saturday August 1 — which will be broadcast live and exclusive on Fox Footy — in AFL Daily!
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KEY AUSTRALIA V IRELAND DETAILS
The AFLW Australia-Ireland international match will begin at 4.15pm (AEST) on Saturday August 1 at North Sydney Oval.
The match will be broadcast live and exclusively on Fox Footy — via Foxtel (Channel 504), Kayo Sports, Kayo Freebies and Binge — from 3.45pm (AEST). The commentary team will feature Kelli Underwood, Jess Webster, Chyloe Kurdas, Lauren Arnell, Lauren Wood and Taylor Smith.
The game will have clear air from the Round 21 AFL matches.
Australia-Ireland will be played under Australian football rules with a classic Sherrin ball.
It’ll be the first AFLW representative fixture since the Victoria-Allies contest in 2017.
TWIST IN JUMPER NUMBERS REVEAL
Player surnames will feature on the back of jumpers for the historic AFLW Australia-Ireland match.
The AFL on Tuesday morning revealed the player jumper numbers for both sides, which will be accompanied by player surnames “to enhance player recognition and strengthen connections between fans and players”, per a league statement.
Of the 50 players, 29 will have the same numbers they wear at their respective clubs. However some will differ due to a clash, with ‘games played’ being a deciding factor in which players get preference.
For instance, Brisbane star Courtney Hodder will wear the No.21 jumper for Australia ahead of Fremantle ruck Mim Strom and Carlton defender Harriet Cordner. Hodder has played 77 AFLW games, slightly more than Strom (74) and Cordner (73), who’ll instead wear the No.1 and No.20 jumpers for Australia on Saturday
Crows captain Ebony Marinoff — an triple premiership crow, competition best and fairest winner and seven-time All-Australian who’s played 107 AFLW games — will wear the Aussie No.10 ahead of Melbourne captain Kate Hore — a premiership Demon, competition leading goalkicker and triple All-Australian who’s played 93 matches.
For Ireland, Magpies star Sarah Rowe (75 games) will wear the No.7 ahead of All-Australian and reigning Dockers best and fairest winner Aisling McCarthy (67), who’ll instead don the No.1.
Both camps have been forced to make squad changes in recent weeks. Giant Grace Kos and Blue Aisling Reidy have been called in to Ireland’s team to replace Melbourne’s Sinead Goldrick (knee) and Sydney’s Tanya Kennedy (back) due to injury. Australia called up Brisbane premiership captain Breanna Koenen to replace North Melbourne veteran and fellow premiership captain triple premiership player and seven-time All-Australian Emma Kearney (hamstring).
Ireland squad and jumper numbers
1. Mim Strom (Fremantle)
2. Libby Birch (North Melbourne)
3. Charlie Thomas (West Coast Eagles)
4. Monique Conti (Richmond)
5. Tyla Hanks (Melbourne)
6. Maddison Gay (Essendon)
7. Ash Riddell (North Melbourne)
8. Kate Hore (Melbourne)
9. Breanna Koenen (Brisbane Lions)
10. Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide Crows)
11. Tyanna Smith (St Kilda)
12. Sophie Conway (Brisbane Lions)
13. Nina Morrison (Geelong Cats)
14. Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles)
15. Chloe Molloy (Sydney Swans)
16. Tahlia Randall (North Melbourne)
17. Tahlia Gillard (Melbourne)
20. Harriet Cordner (Carlton)
21. Courtney Hodder (Brisbane Lions)
22. Ellie McKenzie (Richmond)
23. Zippy Fish (Sydney Swans)
25. Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)
29. Matilda Scholz (Port Adelaide)
32. Chelsea Biddell (Adelaide Crows)
41. Georgie Prespakis (Geelong Cats)
Ireland squad and jumper numbers
1. Aisling McCarthy (West Coast Eagles)
2. Orlagh Lally (Fremantle)
3. Kayleigh Cronin (Adelaide Crows)
4. Niamh Martin (Hawthorn)
5. Grace Kos (GWS Giants)
6. Eilish O’Dowd (GWS Giants)
7. Sarah Rowe (Collingwood)
8. Aine McDonagh (Hawthorn)
9. Orla O’Dwyer (Brisbane Lions)
10. Blaithin Bogue (North Melbourne)
11. Clara Fitzpatrick (Gold Coast Suns)
12. Jennifer Dunne (Brisbane Lions)
13. Vikki Wall (North Melbourne)
14. Erika O’Shea (North Melbourne)
15. Paris McCarthy (Fremantle)
17. Dayna Finn (Carlton)
19. Erone Fitzpatrick (Carlton)
20. Niamh McLaughlin (Gold Coast Suns)
21. Amy Gavin Mangan (North Melbourne)
22. Rachel Kearns (Geelong Cats)
23. Niamh Kelly (Adelaide Crows)
24. Amy Boyle-Carr (Adelaide Crows)
25. Aisling Reidy (Carlton)
26. Neasa Dooley (Brisbane Lions)
45. Aishling Moloney (Geelong Cats)
TROPHY AND MEDAL PRESENTERS CONFIRMED
The trophy and medal presenters for Saturday’s Australia-Ireland clash have been confirmed.
AFL Commissioner Gabrielle Trainor AO, who’s played a significant role in the growth of women’s football and the AFLW competition, will present the trophy to the winning team post-match.
The best on ground medal presenter will depend on which team the winner represents.
If an Australian player wins the award, Australian Football Hall of Fame member Debbie Lee will present. But if an Ireland player is named BOG, it’ll be Gaelic legend and ex-Giants star goalkicker Cora Staunton who’ll hand over the medal. Lee and Staunton are the chair of selectors for Australia and Ireland respectively.
The BOG medal will be awarded to the player who receives the most votes from the two coaches, Darren Crocker (Australia) and Colin O’Riordan (Ireland), on a 3-2-1 basis. If multiple players end up on the same number of votes at the top of the leaderboard, AFLW executive boss Laura Kane will cast the deciding vote.
“This historic clash will showcase some of the best established and emerging talent in AFLW, and I know both teams will represent their countries with great pride,” Trainor said.
“The response from fans has been incredible and I’m looking forward to seeing a sold-out North Sydney Oval come to life on Saturday afternoon for what promises to be a great contest and a wonderful celebration of women’s football and how far our game has come.”
THE BANTER HAS BEGUN!
An array of AFLW club teammates will go up against each other on Saturday at North Sydney Oval — and the sledges have already started.
Eight players from reigning premiers North Melbourne have been picked to play, with four to represent Australia and four to run out for Ireland.
There’s a good chance champion defender Libby Birch — a four-time premiership player — will line up in the 50m arc against dual premiership Kangaroo Vikki Wall on Saturday.
And when the Kangaroos duo appeared on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 last week, they were happy to hand out a couple of cheeky digs.
“I hate to spread rumours, but Libby’s off-season was tailored around getting quicker to keep up with the Irish players,” Wall said with a smile.
Birch replied: “And you’ve been working on your ball drop!”
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