The Irish exodus to the Australian Football League Women's (AFLW) continues with the news that Eilish O’Dowd and Kate Kenny have joined the GWS GIANTS and the Geelong Cats respectively.

Leitrim native O'Dowd has signed a rookie contract with the GIANTS after helping Dublin to All-Ireland success last August, while Offaly dual star Kenny is joining Mayo’s Rachael Kearns and Tipperary pair Aishling Moloney and Anna Rose Kennedy on the south-east coasts.

“Eilish has been a star of Gaelic football back home for some time and after keeping a close eye on her last season we are rapt to have her become a GIANT for season 2024,” GIANTS Executive General Manager of Football Strategy and Operations, Briana Harvey said.

“She has some very strong physical attributes that we think we can translate really well to AFLW and we’re excited by her versatility and her ability to play a variety of roles.

“Eilish’s aerobic capacity is at an elite level and seeing her tie the record for the ‘GIANT Mile’ yesterday was awesome to see and we’re excited about what she can bring to the group.”

Geelong Assistant General Manager of Football Brett Johnson said of Kenny's signing: “Kate has been a standout athlete in both Gaelic Football and Camogie, and we’ve had our eye on her for some time. We’re thrilled to be able to bring an athlete of her calibre to GMHBA Stadium. 

“Her prowess in multiple sports speaks volumes about her abilities, and we’re eager to witness her seamless transition into AFLW.

“With Kate’s signing, we have finalised our list for 2024, and we look forward to welcoming the squad back for pre-season in June to build on a successful 2023 season.”

All-Ireland Gaelic Champion Eilish O’Dowd has joined the GIANTS 🍊

— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) March 5, 2024

Rounding out our list with some Irish flair 🍀 Welcome to Geelong, Kate Kenny! #SheIsFootball

— Geelong Cats Womens (@catswomens) March 4, 2024

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