Australian Rules opportunity beckons Down Under for Crossmaglen’s Lauren McConville

However, Armagh supporters need not worry as just like the Mackin sisters, Aimee and Blaithin, McConville will be able to balance her time between playing Australian Rules football in the autumn and winter, and Gaelic football with her county in the spring and summer.

To say it has been an amazing week for her family would be an understatement. McConville remains in Ireland until her VISA application to move abroad is approved, and it is just as well, as she got to witness her brother Cian and cousins Oisin and Rian O’Neill take home the Sam Maguire title with the Armagh men’s team.

Earlier in the week however, Lauren had her own good news, with the move Down Under signed, sealed and delivered, and she told the Newry Reporter how the move came about.

“There is an agent in Ireland called Mike Currane, and he is involved with a lot of the Irish girls who are out there at the moment. He made contact with me a couple of years ago, to ask if it would be something that I would be interested in.

“I told him that it was something that I would consider if the opportunity ever came up, and we stayed in touch. This year he told me I should enter the AFLW Draft, so I just put my name in the hat and that's how I was signed by the (Gold Coast) Suns.

“The coach Cameron Joyce was in Ireland in April and May, and he watched our league final (against Kerry). I met him, and we had a bit of a chat, and in June they came back with an offer.

“So, I only had a short time to think about it and it was only really three weeks ago that I signed the contract – so it was very last minute.”

Although McConville had been approached about the opportunity several years ago, she said that when a concrete offer came in ‘there was a lot to think about’.

“When I was approached, my thought process was that it would be a great opportunity, but I honestly thought that it would ever happen to me.

“When Cameron approached me via Mike, things got a bit more real, and I had to give it proper consideration. There was a lot to think about and it wasn't an easy decision.”

‘Blaithin and Aimee both had great experiences’

As previously mentioned, McConville isn’t the only Armagh footballer who will grace / has graced the game of Australian Rules football, as Blaithin Mackin ventured Down Under in 2022 – scoring a goal in the final as the Melbourne Demons took home the Grand Final title. Blaithin is signed with the Demons through until the end of the 2026 season.

Blaithin’s older sister Aimee joined her in Melbourne last campaign, but having suffered an ACL injury, she will play no part in this campaign.

McConville discussed the influence that speaking to the Camlough sisters had in helping her decide to make the move.

“I had been talking to Blaithin in general about her experiences, but that was more out of curiosity and general chit-chat rather than thinking about myself.

“I know that her and Aimee both have had great experiences, and Blaithin did so well. That enticed me to it a little bit more and helped me with the decision.”

‘It’s too good of an opportunity to miss out on’

Aged 29, McConville is at the peak of her athletic career, and she said that having the opportunity to play sport at a professional level, test herself and learn new things was a considerable factor in making the decision to join the Suns.

“A big part of the appeal was getting to train like a professional athlete,” she said.

“Whenever I was thinking about the pros and cons, that's really what came to mind. You train your whole life and you commit so much, and I don't regret any of it, but getting involved in a professional set-up is too good of an opportunity to miss out on.

“I hope that I can learn things to bring back to the Armagh set-up and to Crossmaglen from being part of a set-up like that, so it's really exciting.

“And the weather is a huge positive too!”

Luckily for McConville, she isn’t a total novice to the sport, having tried her hand at it a few years ago, although she admits that she still has a thing or two to learn.

“I lived in Australia for about a year and a half, and I played a couple of games when I was out there.

“When I was doing my regional work, I was in a rural area and to pass the time, I joined a local club and played a couple of games with them.

“I really enjoyed the sport; now, I still wouldn't say that I was fully confident with the rules by the end of my time there, but I got on OK and my team kept me right.

“I still have a lot to learn to be honest, but I'm really looking forward to that challenge.”

‘Everyone has been so kind’

It won’t be easy for McConville’s family and friends as she heads abroad for the next few months, but she says that she will have the support of everybody back home as she goes on this adventure.

“Everyone has been so kind and they're genuinely delighted for me,” she said.

“My family are proud of me too, and they know how hard I have worked throughout my football career, so this feels like a reward and a great opportunity, which has come out of that. They're delighted.”

As already mentioned, another huge bonus of playing in the AFLW is that the opportunity to remain an inter-county player is still there, as their seasons run during opposite times in the calendar.

“The AFL season for the ladies isn't as long as it is for the men, so it complements our inter-county season here in Ireland very well.

“One of my stipulations for going out was that I wasn't willing to miss any Armagh game. Thankfully, the Suns were very understanding about that.

“I had plenty on my mind with Armagh, and I obviously wanted to go all the way with them this year, and I wouldn't have been going out to Australia any time before the season was finished.”

‘We had a great season and have built great foundations’

McConville will be back in 2025 for Armagh as she hopes to help them emulate what the men did last Sunday, by winning an All-Ireland title.

“Last Saturday's loss was a tough one to take and it was really disappointing,” she reflected, referencing the side’s semi-final loss against Kerry.

“I suppose it has only really been over the last few days that I have come to terms with it and been able to reflect on the season as a whole, rather than just dwelling on that one game. When you stand back and look at it, we have had a great season and have built great foundations for going into next year.

“We didn't do ourselves justice against Kerry, and we will have to learn from that, but the work we have done this year will stand to us and next year, we will be looking to go that extra step.”