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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Pat Nolan

North Melbourne confirm signings of Meath star Vikki Wall and Cork's Erika O'Shea

AFLW club North Melbourne has confirmed the signings of Irish pair Vikki Wall and Erika O’Shea.

Wall has long been linked with a move to Australia on the back of her outstanding form as Meath claimed a shock All-Ireland win last year, culminating in the 24-year-old being named Footballer of the Year.

It is expected that she will move to Australia once Meath’s interest in this year’s Championship is at an end.

Having been played in the Irish springtime in recent years, the new AFLW season will start in August, which makes it far more difficult for Irish players to combine the two codes at the highest level.

AFLW talent and performance manager Rhys Harwood told North Melbourne’s website: "Vikki is a player we've been keen to get to North Melbourne for a while, and she obviously had a great deal of interest from AFLW clubs. We're delighted that she's committed to playing at North.

"Vikki is a highly credentialed player whose work-rate and desire set her apart. We've been really impressed with her power and speed, as well as the intensity and physicality she plays with.

"The impact she has on games with Meath is outstanding, her ability to create attacking opportunities and break the game open in Gaelic are significant. She has a number of assets we think will allow her to become a highly impactful player in AFLW."

Cork star O’Shea, 19, is one of the brightest prospects in ladies football and was named as an All Star last year.

Harwood added: "We've been really impressed with the traits and impact Erika has shown with Cork. Her speed, agility and ability to cover the ground stand out, as well as her capacity to find a balance between defending and attacking in Gaelic and we think her attributes will give her scope to play through a variety of positions for us," Harwood said.

"At just 19 years of age, Erika has plenty of upside and is a player who we feel can grow with us over a period of time. She can’t wait to arrive in Melbourne and begin her journey.”

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