Second Meath star heads for AFLW

Armagh's Niamh Marley is challenged by Orlagh Lally of Meath

Fremantle have secured Meath footballer Orlagh Lally as a rookie ahead of Season 7 of the AFLW which starts at the end of August.

Senior Coach Trent Cooper believes Lally has the ability to play across the field in all three lines and boasts a huge amount of upside by transitioning to the NAB AFL Women's Competition at the age of 20.

Cooper said Lally has thrived in what has been a professional environment with Meath.

“We are really excited to get Orlagh on board, when word came that she was interested in pursuing an AFLW career, we jumped on that straight away,” Cooper said.

“She’s very young to be making the move at 20 years of age, but she’s got a good head on her shoulders and is looking forward to the challenge of coming across.

“She looks like the type of player that will adapt to the physical nature of the game. The contact isn’t as strong in Gaelic as in AFLW but most of the Irish girls adapt really well and she looks like one that will actually relish the physical contact in the game.

“Orlagh is capable across all three lines. She’s reasonably tall at 172cm, not key position tall, but a really powerful runner with good evasive skills and kicks the ball well on both feet.” 

Lally has already had the chance to meet up with fellow Irish Docker Áine Tighe, with the pair having a kick of the footy and Lally impressing with the oval ball.

“Orlagh’s already done some AFLW training and she kicks the ball better than any Irish player I’ve seen at that stage,” Cooper said.

“She went for a kick with Áine a couple of days ago and Áine reported back she kicks it way better then she did at that stage. If she can become half as good a kick as Aine we’ll be happy! 

"She has those basic fundamentals and at 20, she’ll pick up the game even quicker.” 

After helping Meath to All-Ireland glory last summer, Lally is currently playing an important role in their quest to go back-to-back. Just last Sunday, she kicked the crucial goal that booked the Royal county’s place in the All Ireland quarter-finals that will take place in July.

Lally, like her Meath teammate Vikki Wall who is North Melbourne bound, will see the All-Ireland series out with Meath before making the move to Australia, a move she can’t wait to make.

“I’m really looking forward to it. It’s a great opportunity and a bit of a new adventure as well,” Lally said.

“I’ve heard great stories about Australia and it was really nice to get to know Aine and put a face to the name. She told me how great it is over at Fremantle and in Perth. It added an extra bit of excitement and reassurance as well knowing that you have someone from home over there as well.” 

Lally hopes she can taste a similar success at Fremantle after reaching the pinnacle with Meath.

“It’s been amazing at Meath. You play sport for the love of it but at the same time, it’s nice to get the wins,” Lally said.

“I’ve been fortunate to be with a really special group of girls and a really good team. To win the All Ireland was massive. Once you get that winning feeling you want to do it again and I suppose I want to bring that over, that energy and enthusiasm over to Fremantle and in the AFLW.” 

All 18 clubs will finalise their list next week at the NAB AFLW Draft, which starts on June 29th.

Elsewhere, it will be confirmed in the coming days that Galway footballer Áine McDonagh will be revealed as a Hawthorn player for the upcoming season.

It is understood that contracts and agreements have been signed between both parties and the relevant documentation has been sent to the AFL House in Melbourne before the closing of the Rookie Signing period, which closed on Tuesday. She will join fellow Irish woman Aileen Gilroy in the AFLW side along with Conor Nash, who signed a new two year deal yesterday and Westmeath’s Fionn O’Hara who joined as a rookie last year.