Erika O’Shea will miss Saturday’s AFLW Preliminary Final against Melbourne Demons as she continues to recover from an eye injury.
The Macroom woman failed a fitness test this week after sustaining the injury in the game against Richmond in round ten of the season. O’Shea accidentally ran into the back of Courtney Wakefield's elbow three weeks ago in Arden Street.
At his pre-game press conference today, Kangaroos coach Darren Crocker detailed the extent of the nasty injury.
"Erika's going okay. She's not up for selection this week, but she was very, very close, just trying to get the tick off from her specialist, and then our medical team will come together.
"But she's keen as mustard to get back out there, but not quite there yet. As I said, she won't be up for selection this week, but she wasn't too far away."
O’Shea, who is the youngest Irish female signing in the history of the AFLW, picked up short-term damage to the eye.
"From my understanding, she had some bleeding to the back of her eye, which had to correct itself with a little bit of assistance from eye drops, just so they could get into the back of the eye and make sure there was no damage, which there's no long-term damage.
"Now it's a matter of giving her time to get over that issue, not too much exertion at this stage, but hopefully we can build her out slowly, and hopefully she can train next week."
In the opposition ranks, Melbourne have found a real gem in Blaithín Macken who has been a set fixture in the Demons defence over the past three months.
Dees head coach Mick Stinear said he saw something very special in the Armagh woman when he flew to Ireland earlier in the summer to meet her and her family.
"I was delighted when Melbourne offered me a contract," Mackin said today in the Demon’s pre-match press conference.
"Mick came over and visited me and I think that's a testament to the club and testament to the character of Mick. They were willing to do that to make me feel more settled. My family as well, once they met Mick it put them at ease straight away. That definitely made the whole experience less daunting."
Settling into her new life in Melbourne has been made easier by housemates Megan Fitzsimon and Alyssa Bannan, both emerging talents at the Demons.
"If not for them, then settling in probably would have been way more difficult ... they're both brilliant. It's been so good living with them for the football side of it anyway, because just picking up wee things that you'd be talking about, they've helped me a lot in that way."
She will be joined on the Demon’s defensive lines on Saturday by fellow Irish woman Sinead Goldrick. The Dublin woman has been a permanent fixture in the Demons dressing room since joining in 2020 and may be given the task of picking up Meath's Vikki Wall in the crunch Preliminary Final.
Meanwhile, a rivalry will be renewed tomorrow at Metricon Stadium as the last two AFLW Premiers, Brisbane Lions and the Adelaide Crows, also face off for a place in next week’s Grand Final.
Niamh Kelly is chosen to start at left half forward for the Crows. While Orla O’Dwyer will start in left centre-wing for the Lions. It could see both Irish women clash quite a bit during the game.
Speaking earlier this week at the Premiership Cup Tour in Brisbane, O’Dwyer was looking forward to avenging the heartbreak of last season's Preliminary Final exit to Melbourne.
"Losing that prelim against Melbourne at the MCG earlier this year was disappointing, and I think a lot of girls are still holding on to that” said the Tipperary woman.
"Most of the girls were there for the prelim the previous year where we beat Collingwood at the Gabba, and are able to identify those two different feelings you had of pure happiness and disappointment. I think that's great motivation going in.”
O’Dwyer’s parents, Brian and Mary, have flown out to Australia to see their daughter play. And, like Orla, they are hoping for a different result on Friday, especially after booking their return flight in the days after the AFLW Grand Final.
"Our focus the last couple of weeks has been on team and I think that's what's got us over the line in those close games against Richmond and at the end of the season," the Killenaule woman said.
"That's when we play our best, when we put the person beside us in a better position.
"I think that team approach is really drilled into us and I think that's what will get us over the line at the end of the day. It's all to play for and I think we just need to go in with that mentality."