In Ireland, Australian rules football began in 1999 when clubs were simultaneously formed in Dublin and Belfast, however awareness of it dates back to the 20th century due to similarities with Gaelic football and hyrbid matches played between Irish and Australian teams. It has subsequently becoming a source of players for professional leagues in Australia, particularly the Australian Football League (AFL) and later the AFL Women's (AFLW) through the Irish Experiment which is ongoing. It attracts a television audience, particularly the AFLW competition through TG4. There are two governing bodies, AFL Ireland and AFL Northern Ireland, with teams and competitions in Belfast, Cork, Dublin, Galway and Killarney. The game in Ireland is typically played in a modified 9-a-side footy format on rectangular fields.
The Irish Experiment is the popular name for the interest, primarily from VFL/AFL clubs, in bringing Irish sportspeople, particularly Gaelic footballers, to Australia to play Australian rules football professionally. The AFL's focus on Gaelic footballers is due to the similarities between the sports.
Cora Staunton is an Irish sportswoman. She is best known as a ladies' Gaelic footballer, winning four All-Irelands and three Ladies' National Football League titles with Mayo. She has also been an All Star on eleven occasions. In addition to playing Gaelic football, Staunton has also played three other football codes at a senior level. In 2006, as an association footballer, she won an FAI Women's Cup winner's medal with the Mayo Ladies' League representative team. In 2013, she began playing rugby union for Castlebar Ladies in the Connacht Women's League. In she 2018 made her Australian rules football debut in the AFLW competition for the Greater Western Sydney Giants, establishing herself by 2022 as one of the league's all-time great goalkickers. She has also played for the Ireland women's international rules football team. Staunton works as a HSE liaison officer, working with women from the Irish Travellers community.
Tayla Harris is a professional Australian sportsperson best known for her careers in Australian rules football with the Melbourne Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW) and in professional boxing. She is a highly successful boxer, being an Australian National Boxing Federation female middleweight title holder. As a footballer, she plays as a key forward and previously played with Carlton and Brisbane. Harris is an AFLW premiership player, 4 time women's All-Australian, as well as former Carlton leading goalkicker and Melbourne leading goalkicker.
Jacinda Barclay was an Australian sportswoman who played baseball, American football and Australian rules football at high levels. She represented the Australian national team in five Women's Baseball World Cups and played professional football for the Chicago Bliss in the Legends Football League and Greater Western Sydney in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Citing her success across multiple sports, The Sydney Morning Herald called Barclay "the Sonny Bill Williams of women's sport" in 2016.
Sabrina Frederick is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Collingwood Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She was one of Brisbane's two marquee players for the 2017 season, alongside Tayla Harris.
Breanna L. Koenen is an Australian rules footballer and captain of the Brisbane Lions in the AFL Women's (AFLW).
Sophie Conway is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Brisbane Lions in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW).
Jesse Tawhiao-Wardlaw is an Australian rules footballer who plays for St Kilda in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW). She played for Brisbane from 2019 to season seven (2022).
Ailish Considine is an Irish former Australian rules footballer who played for Adelaide and North Melbourne in the AFL Women's.
Jessy Keeffe is a retired Australian rules footballer who played for Brisbane in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW). She was playing for Yeronga South Brisbane in the AFL Queensland Women's League (QWAFL) when she was drafted by Brisbane with the 48th and final pick in the 2017 AFL Women's draft.
Yvonne Bonner is a Gaelic football and Australian rules football player. She currently plays for Adelaide in the AFL Women's, and has previously played for Greater Western Sydney.
Natalie "Nat" Grider is an Australian rules footballer playing for Brisbane in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW).
Jade Ellenger is an Australian rules footballer playing for Brisbane in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition.
Aisling Louise McCarthy is an Irish Australian rules footballer playing for Fremantle in the AFL Women's (AFLW), having previously played for the Western Bulldogs and the West Coast Eagles. She became an Australian citizen in July 2022.
Aishling Sheridan is an Irish sportswoman who plays Australian rules football for the Collingwood Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She has also played ladies' Gaelic football for Cavan in the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and Australian rules football for NT Thunder in the VFL Women's (VFLW).
Dakota Davidson is an Australian rules footballer playing for Brisbane in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW).
Taylor Smith is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Brisbane Lions in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW). She is a premiership player with the Lions, having played in the club's 2021 AFL Women's Grand Final side.
Jennifer Dunne is a Gaelic football and Australian rules football player. Dunne played for the Dublin team that won the 2018, 2019 and 2020 Ladies' Gaelic football finals. Dunne joined the Brisbane Lions AFLW team in March 2023. Dunne played in the Brisbane Lions team that won the 2023 AFL Women's Grand Final.
Aishling Moloney is an Irish Australian rules footballer playing for the Geelong Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW).
