‘A celebration of women’s footy’: Australia overwhelm Ireland in historic first AFLW international

Australia have emphatically beaten Ireland by 50 points in the historic first AFLW international fixture between the two countries at a sold-out North Sydney Oval.There was standing room only at the old ground, with fans spilling out onto the boundary and an even split of Irish and Australian flags for the occasion, which showcased the very best of the AFLW.Breanna Koenen and Chloe Molloy celebrate after Australia’s victory over Ireland.Getty ImagesThe match presented the expected clash of styles: the patience and poise of Australia set against the instinctive flair of the Irish.Ireland’s players had been raised playing Gaelic football, a sport that does not have a mark and rewards relentless running. Against Australia, they reverted to the style they once played back home – only with a Sherrin.The Irish players looked happy to be relieved of the rigid roles they play for their clubs in the AFLW, as coach Colin O’Riordan allowed them to express themselves on the field. Ireland thrilled their fans with a willingness to run at the Australians, but paid for their bravery on the scoreboard.“The instinct for an Irish person is to take the game on and play on at all costs. Did we get the balance right all the time? Probably not,” O’Riordan said.Courtney Hodder with the trophy.Getty Images“There were some free kicks in the middle that we probably could have held and not gone as quick. But again, we asked them to take the game on and play off instinct. And that’s how we did. It was nice to see.”By half-time, the Australians had 27 hitouts to Ireland’s five, highlighting a huge advantage that would ultimately turn out to be the deciding factor in the game.Three quick Australia goals in the first quarter from Zippy Fish, Tahlia Randall and Kate Hore were cancelled out by majors from Ireland’s Blaithin Bogue and Neasa Dooley.Ireland had strong performers, especially forward Bogue, who kicked her second and third goals in the second quarter, but her efforts were negated by her North Melbourne teammate and Australia forward Randall, who kicked three majors for the quarter after benefiting from her team’s superiority at stoppages.Australia’s Zippy Fish celebrates a goal at North Sydney Oval.AFL Photos via Getty ImagesGoals from Australia’s Chloe Molloy, Jasmine Garner and Sophie Conway gave Australia a 30-point lead and by half-time, Ireland had only managed eight marks compared to Australia’s 35, highlighting a huge disadvantage that proved impossible to recover. Australia’s ruck Mim Strom was outstanding, with 13 disposals and 13 hit-outs in two quarters.Australian captain Jasmine Garner played in the AFLW’s first game in 2017 and said the game against Ireland showed how far the competition had come.“Growing up, I never thought I’d have got this opportunity to play for Australia,” Gardner said. “Back when I played when I was younger, it wasn’t cool to play, you’d almost shy away from saying that you played Aussie rules“I just love it that all the girls want to do it. You drive past ovals and you see young girls having a kick ... the best thing about tonight was just showcasing what we’ve got and how far we’ve come ... it’s just a celebration of women’s footy.”Australia run out before a packed house at North Sydney Oval.AFL Photos via Getty ImagesBefore the game, Australia coach Darren Crocker had voiced his concern that the game was so close to the start of the AFLW season, with the opening match between St Kilda and Carlton scheduled just eight days after Saturday’s clash in Sydney.The contact in defence from both teams was ferocious throughout the game and Ireland’s Aine McDonagh left the field in the second quarter clutching her right elbow in obvious pain.Australia’s dominance continued in the third quarter with Monique Conti and Courtney Hodder extending the lead to 41 points.In the final quarter, after Australian goals from Molloy and Nina Morrison, the Irish crowd responded with a rendition of The Fields of Athenry – the folk song famously sung by Irish soccer fans for eight minutes despite their team losing 4-0 to Spain in the 2012 European Championship.Back then, the Irish fans cared less about the scoreline than the celebration of a special occasion. In North Sydney, it was similar.Ahead of the 11th season of the AFLW, Ireland v Australia as a pre-season spectacular looks here to stay.News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.From our partners