THE STANDARD of AFLW has never been better, and right at the forefront of that is a strong flavour of Irish talent.

There are currently 33 Irish players listed in the AFLW  (with another three inactive), ranging from long-time veterans to absolute newcomers.

Their talent was there for all to see on the weekend, with 27 players taking to the field combining for 21 goals including multiple match-winning performances.

Fresh off kicking two goals for North Melbourne in her return to the AFLW after taking last season off to focus on rugby commitments, Vikki Wall shed some light on the reasons why so many Irish players are flocking to Australian shores.

“The professionalism is a big part of that, we’re now getting closer to full-time and to be paid for playing sport, we don’t get that back home for Gaelic football and we train to the same level, so I think that’s probably the biggest lure is that people are coming across and getting to do something full-time and you get to prioritise that instead of other work,” Walltold AFL.com.au.

“Maybe if it is 60-40, it’s the football and the sport that takes 60 per cent versus back home it being the opposite. I suppose just seeing how well other Irish players have done, it makes other Irish players want to come over here.”

The newest face on the block is Greater Western Sydney tall Eilish O’Dowd.

In her first match in the competition, O’Dowd, lined up against star Western Bulldogs ruck Alice Edmonds at the first bounce, picked up a loose ball and burst from the stoppage, tucking the ball under her arm as she streamed through the 50m arc. She steadied, kicking truly from 35m out to give the Giants a dream start to their 2024 campaign.

It had only taken O’Dowd 15 seconds to make her mark on the competition.

Fremantle is the club with the most Irish talent on its list, quickly becoming a destination club for those from the Emerald Isle given the Dockers now have a contingent of five players.

Key forward Áine Tighe spearheads the Dockers’ attack and was at her damaging best against Essendon at Windy Hill, booting four majors.

Ex-Eagle Aisling McCarthy was also outstanding, amassing 24 disposals, 14 tackles and two goals in a dominant display. The dynamic duo, whom Wall called “weapons”, were joined by Orlagh Lally, Joanne Cregg and Amy Mulholland in Lisa Webb’s side on the weekend.

Hawthorn fans love seeing what Aileen Gilroy and Áine McDonagh bring to the field each time they pull on the brown and gold. Gilroy booted 2.1 and had 352m gained in a 16-disposal outing against Carlton on the weekend, while McDonagh snagged a pair of goals in windy conditions in Frankston herself.

McDonagh is Wall’s housemate, and the North Melbourne speedster revealed the close bond that the duo share, regularly catching up for coffees or lunch.

“Sometimes it’s just nice to chat,” she said.

“She’s pretty fun to watch, we definitely take the piss out of each other as well, when we make a brutal mistake or forget the rules we’ll have a bit of a crack, but it’s all good fun.”

Elsewhere, Brisbane winger Orla O’Dwyer is already a two-time All-Australian and is one of the best Irish players to ever grace the field, while Adelaide’s Niamh Kelly was also an All-Australian last year and Showdown Medallist.

There’s a strong Irish flavour at Casey Fields as well, led by Sinead Goldrick and Blaithin Mackin. Mackin racked up 25 disposals and booted 1.1 but also amassed a whopping 510m gained on the weekend against Geelong in a superb outing. Goldrick is destined for more midfield time this season as the veteran approaches the 50-game milestone.

Don’t forget Geelong star Aishling Moloney either, who won the AFLPA’s best first year player award last year after an impressive debut campaign. Moloney has excited the Geelong faithful with her powerful athleticism and agility in the forward half.

But of course, there are major drawbacks as well for these players who pack up their lives to move across the globe.

“It’s definitely a massive transition and I think there’s a very broad range of age groups of Irish girls that are out here, you’re leaving friends and family behind,” Wall said.

“There’s a huge Irish contingency here but I suppose they’re living a very different lifestyle than you would when we come over here (as professional athletes).

“But every Irish player is reaching out to each other, just making sure everyone’s okay because they’ve done the transition and kind of know the first few weeks are like. You’re not just in a new sport but you’re in a new continent in a new place so it definitely does take a while to get used to and just even the colloquial language.

“You’re learning multiple things at the same time, so we’re just looking out for each other, and I think we do a pretty good job.

“We’ve got a few WhatsApp groups with different people, different players and a few of us were in college together and know each other from that, it’s a pretty close group.”

The Irish flair is as strong as it has ever been in the AFLW and if last weekend was anything to go by, the Irish contingent is only going to get bigger and more dominant.

And just quietly, how good would a return of International Rules be?