'It's great, fantastic, I can't complain' - O'Dowd on her second All-Ireland return from AFLW
SOME PEOPLE JUST get all the luck, it would seem.
After opting out for the 2024 season, she did so under unusual circumstances.
The reason was, she was playing AFLW for Greater Western Sydney Giants. Over there, she made quite the impression as, on her debut, she scored the fastest goal in AFLW history with her very first kick in her debut in round one of the 2024 season.
The reason she was earmarked to play over there came from a string of brilliant performances when Dublin won the 2023 All-Ireland.
It all seems a long way from Ballinamore, Co Leitrim where O’Dowd is from and played with at Junior level. She made a move to Dublin to teach and, in 2021, transferred to Na Fianna, which in turn brought about an approach from the Dubs.
Back with Dublin this season, the athletic midfielder once against won another All-Ireland.
“Yeah, it’s great, fantastic, I can’t complain!” she laughed when asked about her impressive strike rate after the defeat of Meath in Sunday’s decider.
“God, it’s just so special to be back here. I think when I stepped away last year to go over to Australia and focus just on AFL, there definitely was a big part of me that felt like I was missing out.
“Even just watching the girls last year going in the group stages and even the league, you always feel like… you’re just missing out, and you want to be a part of it all the time.
“It’s very hard when you’re over in Australia, the time difference and everything. That definitely gave me the motivation to want to come back and do it all again, because when you get the taste for that glory, you just want that success again. So, yeah, delighted to be able to get a second one. Two out of two!”
Her colleague Martha Byrne was sitting alongside her, and paid tribute to the brilliant mentality that the management team of Paul Casey and Derek Murray instilled within.
“So proud,” said Byrne, “I think there’s something really special that we have within the Dublin defensive unit. Like, a lot of us know what the other person is going to do before they probably even know themselves.
“And when you have the likes of Leah Caffrey, like, right up until the last minute, shouting at me, ‘Who do you f*****g have (to mark)?’
“Like, she just sums up what the Dublin defence is all about – a never-say-die attitude and it’s an absolute privilege to play alongside those types of players.”
Casey himself had warm words of praise for his players and the setbacks they had to overcome.
“Being able to bring Hannah Leahy in there..” he began, “She had suffered three cruciate ligament injuries over the years. Aoife Kane had a really bad injury against Kildare in the group stage of the Leinster championship. To be able to bring those players in was fantastic. It’s great for them and it’s testament to all the hard work that they’ve done.
“And then you look at Hannah McGinnis, I think you lose sight of the fact that she’s 19 years of age. This time last year she was waiting for her Leaving Cert results. She’s had to learn quickly this year because we’ve been tight on numbers at times.
“But any job we gave her…to go out and play midfield in an All-Ireland final was superb as well for her. But the defensive group that Martha talks about, everybody knows the role they need to play and they’re hugely respectful of all the young players coming in.
“In terms of educating them and giving them little nuggets of information that only the experience of playing over the years can bring, they’ve been superb.”
With additional reporting from Emma Duffy.
Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here
The 42
