Lally among the Irish players involved with AFL clubs

TG4 to show games

TG4 have announced that the station will again broadcast weekly matches and highlights from the upcoming Australian Football League Women’s (AFLW) season.

A record 33 Irish players will take the field this season with 16 Irish counties represented including Meath.

Orlagh Lally, who helped Meath to All-Ireland SFC victories in recent years, is among the 33 players name. She is involved with Fremantle.

Mayo lead the pack with six players with Tipperary a close second with five. See full player list below.

The AFLW Competition begins this weekend with eighteen teams battling it out to see who will reach the Grand Final on December 2nd.

TG4 will broadcast two matches deferred each weekend as well as weekly highlights as part of GAA 2023 on Monday evenings at 8pm.

AFL Aussie Rules na mBan starts this Saturday at 12:30pm with Melbourne v Collingwood. See below the full line-up of matches for the first three rounds:

Saturday 2 September 12:30pm - Deferred Round 1 - Melbourne v Collingwood

Sunday 3 September 12.15pm - Deferred Round 1 - Fremantle v West Coast Eagles

Saturday 9 September 5.15pm - Deferred Round 2 - Sydney Swans v Geelong Cats

Sunday 10 September 12.00pm - Deferred Round 2 - Collingwood v Fremantle

Saturday 16 September 5.15pm - Deferred Round 3 - Geelong Cats v Kangaroos

Sunday 17 September 12.20pm - Deferred Round 3 - Brisbane Lions v Sydney Swans

TG4's Head of Sport Rónán Ó Coisdealbha said: "The growth of the AFLW has been phenomenal and we are excited to be bringing the best action from Australia to viewers in Ireland each week. With so many players from Ireland competing in the competition it is a great opportunity to showcase this growing sport to a free-to-air audience on TG4."

The thirty-three Irish players confirmed for the 2023 season are as follows:

Niamh Kelly (Adelaide Crows / Mayo)

Dayna Finn (Carlton / Mayo)

Sarah Rowe (Collingwood / Mayo)

Rachel Kearns (Geelong Cats / Mayo)

Aileen Gilroy (Hawthorn / Mayo)

Grace Kelly (St Kilda / Mayo)

Orla O'Dywer (Brisbane Lions / Tipperary)

Aishling Moloney (Geelong Cats / Tipperary)

Anna Rose Kennedy (Geelong Cats / Tipperary)

Niamh Martin (North Melbourne Kangaroos / Tipperary)

Aisling McCarthy (West Coast Eagles / Tipperary)

Amy Mulholland (Fremantle / Armagh)

Bláithín Mackin (Melbourne Demons / Armagh)

Aimee Mackin (Melbourne Demons / Armagh)

Yvonne Bonner (Adelaide Crows / Donegal)

Niamh McLaughlin (Gold Coast Suns / Donegal)

Tanya Kennedy (Sydney Swans / Donegal)

Jennifer Dunne (Brisbane Lions / Dublin)

Sinéad Goldrick (Melbourne Demons / Dublin)

Paris McCarthy (Sydney Swans / Kerry)

Julie O'Sullivan (Sydney Swans / Kerry)

Joanne Cregg (Fremantle / Roscommon)

Jennifer Higgins (Sydney Swans / Roscommon)

Aishling Sheridan (Collingwood / Cavan)

Ailish Considine (North Melbourne Kangaroos / Clare)

Erika O'Shea (North Melbourne Kangaroos / Cork)

Clara Fitzpatrick (Gold Coast Suns / Down)

Joanne Doonan (Essendon / Fermanagh)

Áine McDonagh (Hawthorn / Galway)

Erone Fitzpatrick (Carlton / Laois)

Áine Tighe (Fremantle / Leitrim)

Orlagh Lally (Fremantle / Meath)

Cara McCrossan (Gold Coast Suns / Tyrone)

Dates for AFL Women’s Season:

Round 1 - Weekend of 1 / 2 / 3 September

Round 2 - Weekend of 8 / 9 / 10 September

Round 3 - Weekend of 15 / 16 / 17 September

Round 4 - Weekend of 22 / 23 / 24 September

Round 5 - Weekend of 29 / 30 / 31 September

Round 6 - Weekend of 6 / 7 / 8 October

Round 7 - Weekend of 13 / 14 / 15 October

Round 8 - Weekend of 20 / 21 / 22 October

Round 9 - Weekend of 27 / 28 / 29 October

Finals series / Elimination finals - November

Grand Final - Saturday 2 December