Full teams, jumper numbers and how it works<\/a><\/p>\nNorth Melbourne superstar and Australia captain Jasmine Garner won the best on ground medal, booting one goal from 18 disposals, 10 score involvements and six inside 50s.<\/p>\n
Garner was one of several players from reigning back-to-back premiers North to star on the big stage. Australia\u2019s Tahlia Randall kicked four goals and Ireland\u2019s Blaithin Bogue added three majors, while Ash Riddell (25 disposals) and Erika O\u2019Shea (21) were Australia and Ireland\u2019s respective leading ball-winners.<\/p>\n
Players post-game from both teams came together for a historic photo.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are the photos that go straight to the poolroom at home,\u201d premiership Lion and ex-Port Adelaide coach Lauren Arnell told Fox Footy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a lovely night and so special to see the growth of AFLW and where this competition has got to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Players from both teams pose for a group photo after the AFLW International Match. Picture: Darrian Traynor\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Fox Footy commentator Kelli Underwood added: \u201cIt makes you emotional. We\u2019ve all been there a decade ago when it started \u2026 in a decade, it\u2019s like this and you imagine what\u2019s possible in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were ominous signs early as Australia slammed on the first three goals of the game, but Ireland got its trademark handball game going, leading to majors for Bogue and Neasa Dooley before quarter-time.<\/p>\n
Asked by Fox Footy\u2019s Taylor Smith if his team was adding that \u201cIrish flair\u201d with run and handball, Ireland coach Colin O\u2019Riordan said: \u201cYou know how it is. We\u2019ve got to run and carry. We\u2019re quick with speed. We\u2019ve got to play to our strengths.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ireland then kicked three of the first five goals of the second term \u2014 two coming from Bogue \u2014 to draw within six points. But two goals to Randall, plus majors from Garner and Lions star Sophie Conway late in the second term steadied Australia to a 30-point half-time lead.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s unbelievable \u2026 What a spectacle for AFLW,\u201d Crows star Ebony Marinoff, who finished with 25 disposals, told Fox Footy at the major break.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so much fun out there. It\u2019s really hot, it feels like finals footy. I just feel so privileged to be playing with the best across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Irish kept Australia to two goals in the third term, but couldn\u2019t capitalise on the scoreboard themselves.<\/p>\n
Australia coach Darren Crocker told Fox Footy at three quarter-time he\u2019d challenged his side to \u201creally showcase how far this game has come in the last 10 seasons\u201d in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
But it was two Ireland players that stole the limelight in the final term.<\/p>\n
Firstly, dual premiership Roo Vikki Wall laid a crunching hip and shoulder on unsuspecting Eagles star Ella Roberts in one of the biggest moments of the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook out Vikki Wall! The Great Wall of Ireland,\u201d Fox Footy\u2019s Jess Webster said.<\/p>\n
Minutes later Gold Coast co-captain Niamh McLaughlin pulled off the goal of the night for Ireland.<\/p>\n
McLaughlin handballed towards Bogue, who picked the ball up cleanly and dribbled it towards goal. McLaughlin, who\u2019d kept on running, then kicked it off the ground for a super goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes this game count for goal of the year?\u201d Fox Footy\u2019s Chyloe Kurdas said.<\/p>\n
Arnell added: \u201cThis is Gaelic footy with a Sherrin.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Cats midfielder Nina Morrison and Swans forward Chloe Molloy kicked the final two goals of the game to seal an, ultimately, comfortable Australian win.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s everything we could\u2019ve hoped that it would be. It\u2019s been an electric atmosphere,\u201d Fox Footy\u2019s Lauren Wood said.<\/p>\n
There were injury concerns for both sides. Geelong star Georgie Prespakis was ruled out of the game at half-time after copping a knock to the throat, while Hawks goalkicker Aine McDonagh was in discomfort after jarring her elbow in the second term before returning to the field in the second half.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The inaugural AFLW international has lived up to all expectations, with Australia and Ireland delivering an entertaining clash…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":837470,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,85],"class_list":["post-837469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/837469","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=837469"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/837469\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/837470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=837469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=837469"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=837469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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