Saturday\u2019s historic AFLW Australia-Ireland international match<\/a>, which fans across the country will be able to watch LIVE and FREE on Kayo Freebies through Kayo SPORTS from 3.45pm (AEST).<\/p>\n\u2018WE CHOSE THE SHERRIN\u2019: BOLD IRELAND MISSION TO BEAT AUSSIES AT OWN SPORT<\/p>\n
It\u2019s clear the Irish don\u2019t just want to compete with the Aussies. They want to beat Australia at its own game.<\/p>\n
Geelong star Aishling Moloney said her fellow countrywomen had been asking for an Australia-Ireland game for many years.<\/p>\n
And when their dream scenario was locked in, the Irish didn\u2019t want to take the easy way out.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a choice of playing with our Gaelic football or playing with the Sherrin, but I think most of the Irish said: \u2018We want to try to beat them at their own game,\u2019\u201d Moloney told Fox Footy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s going to be very heated, it\u2019ll be hot-headed and I\u2019m very much so looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
That clear competitive streak runs throughout the Irish squad.<\/p>\n
Collingwood star Sarah Rowe smiled when she pointed out where she believes the pressure sits.<\/p>\n
\u201cI say to the Aussies: \u2018There\u2019s no pressure on us guys. We haven\u2019t played the game our whole life, there\u2019s lots of pressure on you guys though,\u2019\u201d Rowe said.<\/p>\n
Giants AFLW players Eilish O’Dowd and Grace Kos with Giants AFL player Callum Brown. Picture: Phil HillyardSource: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really going to take the opportunity as it comes and I think we\u2019ll just be willing to give absolutely everything to that game and there will be no shortage of a competitive edge.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing that the Australians say about us is that we have white line fever. When it comes to game day, it will be very serious we\u2019ll want to come out on top.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rowe said her side would have a bond and chemistry the Aussies wouldn\u2019t be able to match.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I think about playing with the Irish girls, I think about how much that represents in who we are, what we\u2019ve come from and our past in Gaelic football,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel like we understand each other\u2019s unspoken words and we feel like we would play probably a different style of football.<\/p>\n
All-Australian and premiership Lion Orla O\u2019Dwyer predicted her side would be \u201cvery patriotic\u201d once they put their Irish jumper on.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust the pride of playing with your country, I think, is really hard to take away from anyone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that they (Australia) will come in all guns blazing and think they\u2019ve been playing this game longer than us and they have a good chance. But I reckon it\u2019d be a great cracker of a game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked what would it mean to beat the Aussies at their own game, dual premiership Kangaroo Erika O\u2019Shea told Fox Footy with a smile: \u201cI don\u2019t think any words could describe that feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
By contrast, Australia\u2019s players have taken a more relaxed approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would absolutely love to win the game,\u201d Geelong midfielder Georgie Prespakis said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut in terms of pressure, no. I think it\u2019ll just be a really enjoyable contest.\u201d<\/p>\n
AFLW players Ash Riddell (Australia) and Erika O\u2019Shea (Ireland) in Sydney. Picture: Phil HillyardSource: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
Premiership Lion Courtney Hodder added: \u201cI\u2019m not feeling too much pressure. Everyone\u2019s going to go out there and give it their best shot. At the end of the day, AFLW wins above all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, the honour of wearing the green and gold isn\u2019t lost on the players.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing able to play for Australia is very special,\u201d Melbourne star Kate Hore told Fox Footy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not something that I ever thought that I would be able to do growing up. Playing football in general isn\u2019t something that I thought I\u2019d be able to do, so to be able to represent my country, represent these colours against Ireland, it\u2019s definitely going to be up there with one of the biggest honours of my career.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018CHAOS V STRUCTURE\u2019: HOW IRISH PLAN TO UNLEASH BIGGEST WEAPON<\/p>\n
When we asked players from both Australia and Ireland what traits Irish players had brought to the AFLW, it was a mix of flair, competitiveness, athleticism, speed and agility.<\/p>\n
But the two most common themes? Unpredictability and chaos.<\/p>\n
And that came from the Irish camp themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we are known as being very chaotic,\u201d Moloney said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always say to the girls: \u2018They never really know where we\u2019re going.\u2019 So we love that we bring that kind of chaotic flair.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s actually quite funny, when an Irish is marking an Irish, sometimes it tends to be more difficult because an Irish nearly knows what an Irish is going to do. Whereas when an Aussie is marking an Irish, we kind of do the unexpected all of the time.<\/p>\n
‘Completely random’ ball chip glitch | 02:12<\/p>\n
\u201cOur chaos is definitely something that will be very interesting to see on August 1st, to see how we manage that in a very structured Aussie team. Will chaos win or is structure going to win?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rowe said that years of Gaelic football encouraged Irish players to lean into intuition and natural talent, which can be a bit jarring for AFLW coaches initially.<\/p>\n
\u201cGaelic football is a game that\u2019s based off instinct, not really structure,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we first come out, we\u2019re always told to stay in structure and none of us really abide by the rules either.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019re teammates\u2019 worst nightmare at the start, but I think then when we start to understand the structure of the game, we can bring our chaos to that structure. That\u2019s when Irish players tend to become a lot better players over here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Aussies have certainly taken note.<\/p>\n
Melbourne star Kate Hore joked: \u201cI don\u2019t know what is in the water in Ireland, but for some reason they are all just fast as anything.\u201c<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re unpredictable, so when you\u2019re playing with them, it can be a little bit tricky, but even trickier when you\u2019re playing against them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018THEY DREAM OF AFLW\u2019: IRELAND\u2019S NEW GOAL<\/p>\n
But even before Ireland takes to North Sydney Oval on Saturday, its players have already inspired many back home.<\/p>\n
And the sense is the footy momentum in the northern hemisphere isn\u2019t slowing down.<\/p>\n
Several Irish players who spoke to Fox Footy described an extraordinary shift back home.<\/p>\n
When many of them first travelled to Australia, the AFLW was virtually unknown back home.<\/p>\n
Aishling Moloney of the Cats. Picture: Mark Brake\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Now, young Irish girls are actively dreaming of following them \u2026 into the AFLW, not their local county.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s actually crazy,\u201d Moloney said. \u201cI have young girls coming up to me in my local football club back home in County Tipperary. They\u2019re not striving to play for the county anymore. They\u2019re striving to come out here to Australia.\u201c<\/p>\n
Rowe had a similar experience earlier this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was at home in Ireland a couple of months ago and a little girl came up to me and said: \u2018It\u2019s my dream to play AFLW.\u2019 And I was like: \u2018What?!\u2019\u201d Rowe said. \u201cThat was never my dream growing up because it was never a thing and it was never something that I even understood.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it is much followed in Ireland. I think it\u2019s growing and I think there\u2019s also leagues starting in Ireland as well, which will make the pathways even better because people will start to play it from a younger age. That means the product will be even better again.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo when Irish players come over, they mightn\u2019t be starting from scratch like a lot of us players here now have started from scratch.\u201d<\/p>\n
O\u2019Shea said Saturday\u2019s match will only accelerate that growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like that\u2019s going to inspire even more people to get involved and show that there is a pathway for young girls from Ireland or other countries to have the opportunity to play over here,\u201d the Kangaroo said.<\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s players hope the impact stretches beyond Ireland.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s going to have such an impact on those aspiring to play in the AFLW,\u201d Prespakis said.<\/p>\n
Zippy Fish and Georgie Prespakis. Picture: Jason McCawley\/AFL Photos\/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be able to see the best of the best go against the Irish, it\u2019ll be amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
EVERYONE WANTS TO PLAY WITH ELLA<\/p>\n
West Coast AFLW coach Daisy Pearce a year ago declared: \u201cIf you love footy and you come and watch us round one Thursday night at Leederville, you will love watching Ella Roberts play footy.\u201d <\/p>\n
Not only will fans be able to watch the Eagles superstar on the big stage on Saturday, the competition\u2019s best Aussies will get to play on the same team as her \u2013 a prospect that has them pumped.<\/p>\n
Roberts was one player that was consistently raised when Australian players discussed who they were most excited to line up alongside.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne that probably sticks out to me the most is Ella Roberts,\u201d Prespakis said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the way that she goes about it with her ability to play as a midfielder, but also go forward of the ball and impact.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t wait to play alongside her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hore was equally enthusiastic.<\/p>\n
\u201cElla Roberts, she\u2019s probably my favourite player in the comp,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely love the way she goes about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matilda Scholz and Ella Roberts of Australia. Picture: Jason McCawley\/AFL Photos\/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
It\u2019s another sign of Roberts\u2019 growing standing across the competition.<\/p>\n
At just 21, Roberts is a dual All-Australian and dual Eagles best and fairest winner. She\u2019s already established herself as a genuine match-winner, both through the midfield and inside forward 50.<\/p>\n
One of representative football\u2019s biggest attractions is seeing rivals become teammates.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never actually really had the opportunity,\u201d Hore said, referencing her elite basketball background.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never really had the opportunity \u2013 whether it be with my state side or the academy or anything like that.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo just to be involved with another team and with girls from teams all around the competition, I\u2019m really, really looking forward to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018START OF SOMETHING BIGGER\u2019: REP FOOTY\u2019S FUTURE<\/p>\n
Almost every player interviewed viewed Saturday night\u2019s clash as a starting point for rep footy, rather than a one-off exhibition event.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been a big advocate for representative footy for a long time now,\u201d Hore said. \u201cWhether that\u2019s state v state or country v country in this case.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s going to be a great spectacle and hopefully the start of something bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hodder is already thinking global.<\/p>\n
Australian players look on during an AFLW Media Opportunity. Picture: Jason McCawley\/AFL Photos\/via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cI would hope that it goes international and it\u2019d be cool if we do one Aussie rules, one Gaelic or we do it here and then in Ireland,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to think too far ahead because we\u2019re obviously grateful for this game, but if it does go international, that would be extremely exciting for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moloney even pondered whether the Aussies could \u201ccome to Ireland and play us in a game of Gaelic football\u201d.<\/p>\n
Rowe, however, cheekily joked the Aussies\u2019 kicking \u201cwould be quite poor though\u201d because \u201cthey\u2019d struggle with the way we kick the ball at home in Ireland\u201d.<\/p>\n
For now, both sides are grateful the fixture finally exists. But if the players get their way, Saturday won\u2019t mark the end of Australia versus Ireland.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s a sense Saturday night\u2019s inaugural AFLW international between Australia and Ireland is about far more than an…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":834221,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44,85],"class_list":["post-834220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=834220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834220\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/834221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=834220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=834220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=834220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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