Irish AFLW players go from play-off highs to flights home

Aileen Gilroy woke up on Sunday morning fresh from celebrating North Melbourne’s preliminary semi-final win over Collingwood and planning for the final four. That night she went to bed with a flight booked home.

Just as plans for a recovery session were put in place, news broke on Sunday that the AFL season was postponed. The Covid-19 pandemic meant women’s programme was cancelled with no winner to be named in 2020.