What a difference 12 months make. The celebrations compared to the commiserations last year are a welcome change. It's been a good couple of days.
This win feels very different to my first one in 2019. That was so unexpected and unknown. This time around it was more of a relief.
Coming up short last year was heart-breaking. We had that raw feeling so long after. Getting to the final again this year, it was more of a relief that we finally got over the line. The overwhelming joy of getting back on top, and finishing with a shiny cup at the end, was pretty special.
The Grand Final was a super tense game. It was always going to be tightly-contested and the scoreboard showed that. Melbourne are a really good side so we knew it wouldn’t be easy by any means. There was even huge pressure and a lot of tension in the build-up to the game. We were the top two teams in the comp, there wasn’t much between us in terms of the table.
We didn’t have a second to relax in the game and neither did Melbourne. It was one of those games where you couldn’t let up for the entire match or they would have capitalised.
The reaction to our victory has been fantastic, there is such a buzz around the place. It’s unbelievable how big football is here in Adelaide. Our supporters are second to none, they always come out and support us. We’re fortunate to be the only women’s team in South Australia so we get the backing of everyone.
We had an event on Monday night in Rundle Mall, which is the main pedestrianised shopping street in Adelaide city, where anyone could come out and see the squad and take photos. There was a decent turnout for that too. It was nice to be able to see all that.
The plan now is to get back to Ireland soon, although I’ve no idea when. Contract talks have to happen in the next week or so and obviously then we need to figure out when the new season officially starts.
If it does start in August, that will mean a June pre-season for us. That obviously shortens the timeframe we have to go off gallivanting.
Changing the season start date is definitely going to be an issue for Irish girls who also want to return home and play. They will have to make a decision because it’s going to become too much to try and fit it in.
Just the way the competition is going here, with the calibre of players and how quickly it’s growing and improving each season. It’s getting better and better.
As girls coming in from a different sport, I don’t think we can afford to miss too much of pre-season if we want to keep going with the curve.
Looking back at myself in my first season in 2019, I wouldn’t make any squad right now. The standard is going through the roof.
'Word on the street is you'll have more Irish girls here' - @duckie15 on AFLW
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) April 12, 2022
Listen to the full episode of #WeBecomeHeroes on
💬Apple https://t.co/DjfWf4ArxR
💬Spotify https://t.co/NEhReWlT03
💬 Soundcloud https://t.co/iQALY828Pd
💬 Web https://t.co/C1Hd7S8jAA pic.twitter.com/cq6HcGynNU
The opportunity for Irish players is certainly there but unfortunately a decision will eventually need to be made. The timing is not going to work for both.
The professional environment is a big factor when it comes to making a decision. It’s very hard to leave the standards that you have for six months of the year, even though you love going back to your club and county.
But it frustrates the life out of me. You want those same standards for all of the girls you play with and against at home but it’s just not there.
It’s so frustrating, first of all that it’s not there, and secondly because you’ve had a taste of a professional set-up and are then going back to a lower standard. But that’s just the way it is, amateur versus professional.
It’s definitely a big change when you do make the transition back after six months of being treated like a professional athlete day-in, day-out.
