Melbourne confirm signing of Armagh's Blathín Mackin

The 23-year-old joins Dublin star Sinead Goldrick in pulling on the red and blue later this year

Wed, 15 Jun, 2022 - 11:20

Patrick Mulcahy

Melbourne have confirmed the signing of Armagh’s Blathín Mackin for the upcoming AFL Women’s season.

The 23-year-old joins Dublin star Sinead Goldrick in pulling on the red and blue later this year, following the conclusion of the 2022 Ladies Football Championship season.

AFLW list manager Todd Patterson said he was thrilled to be welcoming the athletic talent to Melbourne.

“Blaithin is a very exciting prospect for us to bring over and develop, post the conclusion of her Armagh season,” he said.

“We are really open-minded as to where she will settle on the field however, she does look to have some natural instincts suited to the forward half. Blaithin comes from a great GAA family with numerous siblings that have helped develop her into a very impressive young woman.”

Mackin, who won an All-Star Award in 2020, is set to bring a mixture of speed and composure. Patterson said Mackin will also benefit from Goldrick’s experiences to date.

“It’ll be great having Blaithin learn the game, not only from our group but also Sinead, who now has a couple of seasons under her belt,” he said. “We’re confident this will set Blaithin up well for this season and beyond.”

Mackin’s opportunity comes after the Dees placed the experienced Rhi Watt on the inactive list, with her ACL injury ruling her out of next season.

Speaking at the launch of AIG’s new For Times Like These campaign yesterday, Mackin’s older sister Aimee could not give the commitment to play professional sport for now.

"I don't really know to be honest," she said. "It is always a topic of conversation. The lifestyle in Australia looks interesting. I’m probably a bit of a homebird so playing Gaelic is the priority for me at the minute."