'I had a deadly amount of guilt about the injury. Just what it could have done to my family'
FORMER AFLW PLAYER Bríd Stack says she felt ‘a deadly amount of guilt’ over a serious neck injury which almost left her paralysed during her time playing in the AFLW.
Stack suffered the injury during a practice game with the Greater Western Sydney [GWS] Giants who she joined ahead of the 2021 season. The seven-time All-Star speaks about that horrifying experience on her Laochra Gael episode, becoming understandably emotional at times when recalling the events.
The 11-time All-Ireland winner with Cork eventually made an incredible comeback to play in the AFLW and spent three seasons with the Giants before returning to Ireland in 2023. But when she was first struck down with the injury, she worried about how the prospect of her becoming paralysed from the neck down might impact her young family.
“I think the reason why I probably still get a bit upset about it is because for so many years with Cork, you could be as selfish as you liked. It was just you, yourself, and obviously I was going out with Cárthach at the time, but he was involved in sport too.
“But when a child comes into the mix, it just makes everything a lot harder. They’re the first thing you think about in the morning and the last thing you think about at night so it probably weighs on me a little bit that I had a deadly amount of guilt about the injury. Just what it could have done to my family in the long term. I suppose four years on, I’ve certainly made my peace with it. I’ve gone back playing football, loved football and enjoyed football. But when Cárthach Óg was so young, it was certainly a difficult time.
“I had a bit of a chip in my shoulder about the thing because I felt it just absolutely destroyed my confidence at the start.”
Delighted to finally run out with this beautiful bunch. The support @GWSGIANTS have shown my family is something we will always cherish. Thanks to Cora for her encouraging words b4 the game and always. Looking forward to more great days ahead with this team & 2 very special men🧡 pic.twitter.com/F99kZUAyAi
— Bríd Stack (@BridStackie) January 10, 2022
There are over 40 Irish players currently signed up with AFLW clubs for the 2025 season, which is up from the 33 who featured last year. Meath’s two-time All-Ireland winner Aoibhín Cleary has just been announced as a signing for Richmond.
Stack says that playing in the AFLW is “an amazing opportunity” and is grateful that her chance came after the conclusion of her Cork career, meaning she doesn’t face the dilemmas of current inter-county players who are trying to balance both sports.
And while there are concerns about the rising number of players moving to Australia, Stack believes the current situation will “peter out” as home produced-players make it more difficult for the Irish recruits.
“I think there’s a lot of maybe weathering the storm a small bit in the coming years for the LGFA,” says Stack who is the next GAA figure to feature in this season’s Laochra Gael. “The Irish girls were coming over as ready-made athletes, whereas now the academies are starting to churn out these excellent players.
“You’re going to see maybe the demand on the Irish to come over, not as much. You also have seen Irish players that when they go over, would have gotten games automatically. Now they’re not getting games automatically. So it’s going to be a lot harder to break into the AFLW in the coming years.
“But obviously, you don’t want to be losing top, top players. And I suppose make sure that county boards are doing the best that they can for clubs. And until probably they come under the one umbrella, they might be under a small bit of pressure.”
Elsewhere in her Laochra Gael programme, Stack speaks candidly about her experience with two miscarriages on the show. She also had a third while filming for the show. Along with her husband Cárthach, she has two children and is now expecting a third baby.
“I actually found it difficult to speak about properly because I actually went through another one last summer while the filming was going on. I don’t know, it’s just the way I’m built at the moment, I don’t know what’s going on. I suppose I found it difficult to speak about it, but the overwhelming thing is it does happen so much and it probably took for me to have the second one to probably talk to people about it.
“I remember going back to sport and going back to St Val’s in particular after the second one was vital for me. It probably was only in hindsight, looking back on it, that I realised just how much of a distraction it gave me and how it helped me kind of get over it a bit.
“I guess the hardest thing about it is that it’s very much out of your control. I can only speak for myself, but you question yourself so much when it happens, maybe I shouldn’t be training, maybe I shouldn’t be running, maybe I’m too old etc. the reality is it affects so many women and in so many different ways.
“And so many don’t speak about it as they’re not past the 12 week mark. Going forward it certainly changes your mindset during a healthy pregnancy in that you’re never fully at ease until you have that baby safely in your arms.”
Stack is at seven months in her pregnancy and is looking forward to their arrival in the summer.
“Waddling around the place a little bit. I wouldn’t travel too far on soft ground I’d say at the moment. Club training has started so we’ll help out there for a bit as much as possible and see what way the body is then come May, June. I could be under pressure this time but I love being involved in it so I’ll definitely go down and help out as much as possible.”
Bríd Stack’s Laochra Gael will be shown this Thursday night at 9.30pm on TG4
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