The 14 Ladies Gaelic footballers playing Australian Rules may have to choose between the two sports this year with Women’s AFL set to move the beginning of their season to an August slot.
WAFL clubs have been informed of the move, which would see the new four month season finish at the end of November, but it has yet to be fully ratified.
The plan is for the new season to begin this August, which would mean Irish players having to choose whether to stay in Australia for pre-season or return home to play for their counties in the All-Ireland.
In the future it may still be possible to mix the two codes, with this year’s All-Ireland ladies football final brought forward to July 31.
The advent of the split season is timely for GAA players interested in playing AFL.
But it remains to be seen if WAFL clubs would accept players coming straight from another sport with no rest period or pre-season.
This year Ireland’s representatives in the WAFL were: Orla O’Dwyer, Aisling McCarthy (both Tipperary), Grace Kelly, Niamh Kelly, Aileen Gilroy, Rachel Kearns, Sarah Rowe (all Mayo), Aisling Sheridan (Cavan), Brid Stack (Cork), Aine Tighe (Leitrim), Sinead Goldrick, Lauren Magee (both Dublin) and Ailish Considine (Clare).
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