New AFLW senior coach of the Sydney Swans Colin O'Riordan has said that while he is conscious of the GAA player drain to Australia, the lure of a professional sporting life is difficult to turn down.
A decorated player for the Premier County at underage level that included All-Ireland success, he was recruited by the Swans in 2015 before being forced into retirement in 2022 due to chronic hip injuries.
With three years coaching experience in various roles within the club, he has assumed the head coach role for the Swans’ AFLW side.
"When the moment arose, I had to jump at it," he told RTÉ Radio 1’s Inside Sport.
O’Riordan has a vested interest in the growing number of Irish players making a career Down Under.
A record 39 Irish players were signed up for last season, with that number expected to increase for 2026, Tipperary’s Caitlin Kennedy the latest recruit with her switch to the Brisbane Lions.
Concerns have been expressed within GAA circles given both the number and high-calibre players that have joined the AFLW.
Bláithín Bogue (pictured above), Jennifer Dunne, Niamh McLaughlin, Áine McDonagh and Dayna Finn were the five Irish representatives in the 21-player All-Australian team and O’Riordan said he knows full well how difficult an opportunity it is to turn down if it lands at your doorstep.
"I think it’s testament to the GAA in the way they are developing young female athletes," he said.
"You are always conscious of the drain of players from Ireland, but what I always said when I was playing, it’s the opportunity to go and be a professional, to get paid for something you love doing.
"It’s very hard to turn down that opportunity when it comes. And it’s not as if the Irish girls are going over and sitting number 35 on the list, a lot of them are going over and dominating which is fantastic."
The 12-week regular season, plus finals, doesn’t get underway until August, so O’Riordan has time to plan ahead.
An early training camp will be held in February before pre-season is scheduled to begin in May. After a dip in fortunes last season, he insists the Swans' target is to make a finals return.
As the first Irish man in charge of an AFL or AFLW side, the significance of the achievement is certainly not lost on him.
"When people say it, and when you see it written, it makes you quite proud," he says. "I’m very patriotic and I love the fact I’m Irish trying to keep the flag flying in the AFL.
"That part definitely excites me."
