Record number of Irish players in AFLW

The number of Irish players in the AFLW has jumped to 39.

It comes after it was confirmed that the new AFLW season will get underway on Thursday, August 14, just 11 days after some of the League's ladies football contingent could be involved in the All-Ireland final. According to the AFL website, "there's a growing belief among the Irish cohort that the days of playing both sports may be numbered, given the increasing demands of AFLW."

If so, Irish players would have to choose between one sport over the other.

The Irish AFLW players are as follows:

Amy Boyle-Carr (Adelaide, Donegal) Kayleigh Cronin (Adelaide, Kerry) Grace Kelly (Adelaide, Mayo) Niamh Kelly (Adelaide, Mayo) Neasa Dooley (Brisbane, Kildare) Jen Dunne (Brisbane, Dublin) Orla O'Dwyer (Brisbane, Tipperary) Maria Cannon (Carlton, Mayo) Dayna Finn (Carlton, Mayo) Erone Fitzpatrick (Carlton, Laois) Síofra O'Connell (Carlton, Clare) Aisling Reidy (Carlton, Clare) Muireann Atkinson (Collingwood, Monaghan) Kellyann Hogan (Collingwood, Waterford) Sarah Rowe (Collingwood, Mayo) Jo Cregg (Fremantle, N/A) Orlagh Lally (Fremantle, Meath) Aisling McCarthy (Fremantle, Tipperary) Amy Mulholland (Fremantle, N/A) Aine Tighe (Fremantle, Leitrim) Rachel Kearns (Geelong, Mayo) Kate Kenny (Geelong, Offaly) Aishling Moloney (Geelong, Tipperary) Clara Fitzpatrick (Gold Coast, N/A) Niamh McLaughlin (Gold Coast, Donegal) Grace Kos (GWS, Dublin) Eilish O'Dowd (GWS, Dublin) Aileen Gilroy (Hawthorn, Mayo) Aine McDonagh (Hawthorn, Galway) Sinead Goldrick (Melbourne, Dublin) Blaithin Mackin (Melbourne, Armagh) Blaithin Bogue (North Melbourne, Fermanagh) Amy Gavin Mangan (North Melbourne, Offaly) Erika O'Shea (North Melbourne, Cork) Vikki Wall (North Melbourne, Meath) Aoibhin Cleary (Richmond, Meath) Tanya Kennedy (Sydney, Donegal) Paris McCarthy (Sydney, Kerry)

Julie O'Sullivan (Sydney, Kerry)

Inactive

Anna-Rose Kennedy (Geelong, Aimee Mackin (Melbourne, Armagh)

Niamh Martin (North Melbourne, Tipperary)