When is the AFLW All-Stars game on, watch live and free on KAYO Sports, which players are in the team, how to stream, preview

The 2026 AFLW season kicks off in spectacular fashion with the inaugural Australia vs Ireland Cup.

Here’s everything you need to know about the historic women’s football blockbuster.

Watch The 2026 AFLW Australia v Ireland International LIVE & Free on Kayo Freebies Sat 1 Aug | Register free now, no credit card required.

WHAT TIME DOES AUSTRALIA VS IRELAND START?

The AFLW All-Stars game is scheduled to begin at 4:15pm (AEST) at North Sydney Oval on Saturday, 1 August..

The AFL revealed when announcing the Rounds 16-22 men’s fixture in may that the Australia vs Ireland match would have its own timeslot, with no men’s games schedule for the blockbuster Saturday twilight period.

Australia captain and AFLW superstar Jasmine Garner and Ireland skipper Orla O’Dwyer will lead their teams out in front of a capacity North Sydney Oval crowd, with tickets sold out weeks in advance.

HOW CAN I WATCH AUSTRALIA VS IRELAND ON TV AND VIA STREAMING?

Fans across Australia can watch every moment of the landmark AFLW Australia v Ireland international game LIVE and FREE, with the history-making match available to everyone on Kayo Freebies through Kayo SPORTS from 3:45pm (AEST).

As excitement builds around the sold-out event, Fox Footy and Kayo SPORTS are ensuring every fan can be part of the occasion by making the historic match free to watch nationwide.

The coverage will feature Fox Footy and Kayo SPORTS’ expert commentary team on the ground, led by play-by-play callers Kelli Underwood and Jess Webster, alongside expert commentators Lauren Arnell and Chyloe Kurdas, with Lauren Wood and Taylor Smith reporting from the boundary.

WHY IS AUSTRALIA VS IRELAND NOT BEING PLAYED AT THE SCG?

The AFL’s decision to not schedule the marquee match for the SCG instead of the smaller capacity North Sydney Oval has attracted scrutiny, especially with tickets being sold out well in advance of the match.

The latter stadium can hold around 10,000 people, with AFLW boss Laura Kane citing the league’s desire to “create an amazing atmosphere” with a sellout crowd as the reason.

However, many expect the 48,000-capacity SCG would also have been filled, such was the demand for tickets.

Adding to the controversy, the AFL, as revealed by Lauren Wood on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, had a booking placed on hold by the AFL in the lead-in to the match.

But they weren’t swayed despite the high interest.

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WHAT ARE THE RULES?

Unlike men’s International Rules matches between Australia and Ireland over the years, the AFLW All Stars match will be played under AFLW rules with a classic Australian Sherrin.

As per the AFLW competition, 16 players are permitted on the ground per team, while quarters will run for 17 minutes plus time on.

With 25 players per team – a bench of nine players each – expect to see plenty of rotations, with both sides gearing up ahead of the start of the AFLW season on Sunday, August 9 between St Kilda and Carlton at Marvel Stadium.

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WHICH PLAYERS HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR THE TEAMS AND WHAT ARE THEIR JUMPER NUMBERS?

Australia and Ireland will each feature 25 players in their team for Saturday afternoon’s marquee match.

Due to clashes with jumper numbers across both sides, 29 players will be wearing their AFLW numbers, with the rest having to swap.

The AFLW decided on which players would be able to wear their preferred number in the event of a clash by way of seniority – two-time Brisbane premiership player Courtney Hodder (77 games), for example, will wear her usual No.21, while Fremantle ruck Mim Strom (74 games) and Carlton defender Harriet Cordner (73) will wear Nos. 1 and 20.

The league have announced player surnames will feature along with numbers on guernseys, to allow fans to better recognise the stars on display.

The captains are three-time AFL Players Association MVP and reigning Kangaroos premiership captain Jasmine Gardner (Australia) and two-time Brisbane premiership player Orla O’Dwyer (Ireland), who will be the most experienced Irish player on the field with 55 AFLW games under her belt.

The coaches are North Melbourne two-time reigning premiership coach Darren Crocker (Australia) and new Sydney AFLW coach and former AFL Swan Colin O’Riordan (Ireland).

They will be supported by several assistant coaches, with two-time Adelaide premiership player Courtney Cramey and former Melbourne men’s flag-winner turned Essendon AFLW head of development Ben Brown in the Australia camp.

Former Sydney Swan Tadhg Kennelly, who in 2005 became the first Irish player to win an AFL premiership, is among Ireland’s assistants, as is Brisbane two-time flag coach Craig Starcevich.

Kangaroos superstar Emma Kearney (hamstring) is unavailable for the marquee match, while Irish pair Sinead Goldrick (Melbourne) and Tanya Kennedy (Sydney) have also been sidelined with knee and back injuries respectively.

Australia 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)

WHO IS PRESENTING THE MEDALS AND TROPHY?

The Australia-Ireland Cup will be presented to the winning team by AFL Commissioner Gabrielle Trainor AO.

An inaugural GWS board member who joined the AFL Commission in 2016, Trainor has been central to the rise of the AFLW, with the Giants’ women’s best and fairest named in her honour.

After the match, coaches Crocker and O’Riordan will vote on a 3-2-1 basis for the best player on the ground, with the highest vote-getter to receive the best on ground medal.

Women’s football trailblazer Debbie Lee, who was the first ever female inductee to the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2021 for her decades of advocacy, will present the medal if won by an Australian player.

If an Irish player wins, Gaelic football legend Cora Staunton, who played 50 games for GWS from 2018-2022, will present the winner with her award.