AFLW All-Stars and Ireland delight a different type of sports crowd: ‘There’s nothing quite like it’

From the publisher

Australia’s historic AFLW match against Ireland started with a dance party and ended with a chorus of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie”. On a chilly Saturday afternoon, 9,000 footy fans packed out North Sydney Oval to witness the first international women’s Australian rules game, and there was a carnival-like mood in the air. The event was a joyous acknowledgment of how Irish players have shaped women’s footy, and a testament to cross-cultural connections. Forty-six Irish players are on current AFLW lists, and nine have earned All-Australian blazers. The move from Gaelic football to Australian rules is a natural one with longstanding ties. Since the 1980s, men have faced each other in matches…

The source's own excerpt, unedited