FERMANAGH star Blaithin Bogue has committed herself to a full AFLW pre-season with North Melbourne – meaning she us unlikely to feature for the Erne County in next year’s Championship.
Kangaroos coach Darren Crocker expects Bogue to make a significant impact in AFLW when she is fully up to speed with the nuances of Australian rules football, but the Tempo woman has yet to play a minute for the Kangaroos so far, having only arrived in Australia a fortnight before the 2024 season got under way in mid-August.
That is not surprising given that she joined the standout team in the competition, with North Melbourne powering through to Saturday’s Grand Final clash with Brisbane Lions after the most dominant season in the competition’s history.
The AFL recently announced that the 2025 AFLW season will start on August 11, three weeks earlier than this year. Next year’s pre-season dates are yet to be confirmed, but June 3 was the start date this year, giving clubs three months to prepare.
Under the terms of Bogue’s two-year deal, she is required to arrive earlier in Melbourne next year, and a full AFLW pre-season – possibly starting as early as late May - would rule her out of much of Fermanagh’s season.
However, Meath star Vikki Wall is eagerly anticipating the Grand Final, after scoring three goals to help North Melbourne see off Port Adelaide in the preliminary final.
Twelve months ago Wall found herself watching the AFLW Grand Final on her phone, while on a camp with Ireland’s rugby team thousands of miles away.
She originally made the move Down Under for the second season of 2022 before shifting her focus to rugby last year in a bid to qualify for the Irish Olympic squad bound for Paris 2024.
She fell just short of making the team, but was still able to travel to the French capital to support her countrywomen.
Then it was back to Australia for this season with the Roos, kicking 10.7 from 13 matches so far - with one huge game to come.
“For a lot of the Irish players, coming over here is a massive commitment, being away from friends and family,” Wall told AFL.com.au after the victory over Port Adelaide.
“Even my best friend back home got married yesterday, so it’s sad to miss those things. But it makes it worth it on days like today. I witnessed [the Grand Final] back home last year, so it’s nice to be involved in it this year and how it goes, rather than seeing it on social media and chatting to the girls.”
