TIPPERARY STAR AISLING McCarthy has signed a new one-year deal for the Western Bulldogs club following an impressive debut season in the Australian Women’s Football League (AFLW).
McCarthy kicked five goals and collected 61 disposals in six appearances for the Bulldogs this season, as she joins a list of 13 players who have committed to the club again for 2020.
“I really enjoyed my first year with the Bulldogs,” the Tipperary footballer told Bulldogs Media.
“Heading over to Australia on my own to play a new sport could have been incredibly overwhelming, but the Bulldogs really helped me settle in and enjoy my football.
“The team really embraced my arrival and I can’t wait to play another season with our group.”
The Bulldogs finished at the bottom of Conference A in the AFLW ladder this year with five defeats and two losses.
McCarthy was picked up by the club in the 2018 draft after impressing at the Cross Coders international camp in Melbourne.
She travelled over as part of a group of 18 athletes in the hope of securing a deal with an AFLW side. Along with McCarthy, Clare’s Ailish Considine, Donegal star Yvonne Bonner and Sarah Rowe of Mayo were also successful.
Considine signed for eventual AFLW champions Adelaide Crows, with Bonner joining Cora Staunton at Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Giants while Rowe linked up with Collingwood.
The Mayo star forward also looks set to stay on with Collingwood next season as she awaits for the new deal to be rubber-stamped.
Speaking to The42 earlier this week, she said balancing her Aussie Rules and inter-county commitments could be tricky next season.
“I now have to weigh up whether I can do both next season, to have a chat with Peter [Leahy, Mayo manager], the girls, my family and friends and see where it takes me after that.
“Hopefully I can do the both of them but we’ll see how things go over the next few weeks. I’ll have to make my decision over the next probably two weeks.”
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Here’s another anomaly in the whole hurling relegation/promotion structure. Winners of the Christy Ring Cup have to play the bottom team in the Joe McDonagh in a play-off. Seems the only place where there’s automatic relegation is in the Leinster group. Why not use the same system everywhere, so either there are playoffs, or there’s not?
Incidentally, and no offence intended to the late Joe McDonagh, but I can’t help wondering why his name was given to the new second tier competition, thereby elevating him above Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard. McDonagh was a great GAA man all right, but is he really worthy of a place higher than those other two in history?
I hope this victory helps to popularise the game of Hurling in Kildare
@Noel Martin: Well to be honest the last one in 2014 didn’t, the county board need to be the ones to stand up and take note. There’s plenty of interest in Kildare for Hurling, a lot of great work going in at underage level in clubs. It needs the backing from the county board, their attitude towards the game is desperate.