{"id":10489,"date":"2022-05-31T02:23:18","date_gmt":"2022-05-31T02:23:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/?p=10489"},"modified":"2024-12-18T12:29:10","modified_gmt":"2024-12-18T12:29:10","slug":"mayo-duo-and-cavan-star-the-latest-of-irish-contingent-to-have-new-aflw-deals-confirmed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/?p=10489","title":{"rendered":"Mayo duo and Cavan star the latest of Irish contingent to have new AFLW deals confirmed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Click:powder cannons<\/a><\/p>\n

MORE IRISH PLAYERS have earned new Australian Football League Women\u2019s [AFLW] contracts as the focus switches to next season.<\/p>\n

Mayo and Cavan stars Sarah Rowe and Aishling Sheridan have committed their immediate future to Collingwood, putting pen to paper in recent days.<\/p>\n

Yesterday, Rowe was one of six players to have a new deal announced, signing on until 2023. The 25-year-old recently completed her third AFLW campaign, playing seven goals across an injury-hampered season, while kicking one goal.<\/p>\n

Having undergone shoulder surgery as the curtain came down on the 2021 season, Rowe stayed on in Australia to rehabilitate, missing the Green and Red\u2019s league campaign. The Kilmoremoy forward returned to home soil in recent days, though, so the race is now on for her championship involvement.<\/p>\n

Her immediate focus will be on Gaelic games matters, though her new two-year deal will see her head back Down Under afterwards to continue to \u201clive the best of both worlds,\u201d as she so often says.<\/p>\n

Sheridan\u2019s status of being on a two-year deal was also confirmed this morning, as she officially penned a contract extension until 2023.<\/p>\n

The Mullahoran ace lit up the AFLW last season, enjoying a stunning individual campaign with goals almost every week as she established herself as one of the Pies\u2019 main forwards in her second year at the club.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

24-year-old Sheridan has been back in Ireland for some time now, returning to inter-county duty with Cavan through their Division 2 league campaign, as they now prepare for an Ulster championship meeting with Donegal.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, Rowe\u2019s Mayo countywoman Aileen Gilroy has re-signed for North Melbourne.<\/p>\n

\n Gilroy in action for North Melbourne.<\/p>\n

Source: AAP\/PA Images<\/p>\n

One of 24 players retained from the Kangaroos 30-strong 2021 AFLW list, Gilroy sparkled once again in her second season and has subsequently been rewarded with a longer stay.<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old has excelled in Australia of late and has been touted as\u00a0\u201cone of the most exciting Irish talents\u201d\u00a0over there, though has opted out of the Mayo ladies football set-up for 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A former underage soccer international with Ireland, the Killala native missed most of the 2019 ladies football season with a devastating cruciate injury, before announcing her comeback with a stellar debut season Down Under.<\/p>\n

She returned to line out in the Green and Red\u2019s midfield last autumn, but has decided against it this time around.<\/p>\n

\u201cAileen\u2019s not one to half-arse anything,\u201d as manager Michael Moyles recently said. \u201cThe last year or two, she\u2019s struggled with it so she needs to take a year to get things around her. And that\u2019s fine, no problem.\u201d\n<\/p>\n