Mayo's Niamh Kelly named in AFLW’s All-Australian team for 2023
ALL STAR: Niamh Kelly celebrates while playing in the Australian Football League with her sister Grace Kelly. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Niamh Kelly has been selected as a midfielder on the AFLW’s All-Australian team for the 2023 season.
The Adelaide centre becomes the second Irish woman to be named in the team after Orla O’Dwyer’s All-Star selection in early 2022.
The Mayo woman’s season came to end after Sunday’s heartbreaking one-point defeat to North Melbourne in the Preliminary Final on Sunday.
The All-Australian team was selected by a panel of 10 members from across the Australian football industry, mixed from members of the media and AFL officials.
Kelly had a huge role to play for the Crows in her second season to get her side back to the Finals series having played all 13 games and scoring six goals in the process.
2023 AFL Women’s All-Australian team featured eleven debutants, including O’Dwyer, 10 clubs were represented in the team, with minor premiers the Adelaide Crows having the highest representation with four players ifollowed by Brisbane Lions (three), Sydney Swans (three) and North Melbourne (three).
Kate Hore of Melbourne is selected the team Captain while Bonnie Toogood is selected as the Vice-Captain of the side.
Elsewhere, this Sunday’s AFLW Grand Final between Brisbane Lions and North Melbourne will be a sell out at Ikon Park (First Bounce 3:30am Sunday).
The Lions had too much for Geelong in the opening Preliminary Final on Saturday with Orla O’Dwyer kicking a goal to help her side claim the victory. She will be joined by Dublin’s Jennifer Dunne who is playing her debut AFLW season.
North Melbourne will also have Irish representation in Cork’s Erika O’Shea, Niamh Martin from Tipperary and Ailish Considine who will be seeking her third Premiership medal. The Clare woman will face a fitness test in a race for selection on Sunday.
C Thomas (West Coast), C Biddell (Adelaide)
E Sheerin (Richmond), E O’Driscoll (Fremantle), E Kearney (North Melbourne)
S Conway (Brisbane), M Conti (Richmond),
K Hore (Melbourne), B Toogood (Essendon)(V-Capt.), C Molloy (Sydney)
D Ponter (Adelaide), D Davidson (Brisbane)
E Marinoff (Adelaide), J Garner (North Melbourne), A Morphett (Sydney)
C Rowbottom (Gold Coast), E Zanker (Melbourne), A Anderson (Brisbane), A Riddell (North Melbourne), L Gardiner (Sydney).
