Staring down the formidable North Melbourne juggernaut is an understandably intimidating scenario. The reigning premiers haven’t dropped a game since 2023 and are the league’s undeniable favourite for the 2025 flag.
But Carlton’s Irish recruit Síofra O’Connell has zero nerves.
Carlton’s Síofra O’ConnellCredit: Getty Images
“See, I have no fear, because I don’t know them,” she laughed.
“When we do any sort of revision or any kind of meeting or anything like that, they’re naming people. And I’m like, ‘Oh, can you tell me their numbers?’ I know all the Irish girls, but that’s kind of it at the minute.
“So once you’re on the field, it’s a fair game for anyone.”
Drafted last December alongside fellow Gaelic teammate Aisling Reidy, O’Connell hails from County Clare in Ireland and previously worked as a mental health nurse.
On Monday afternoon – ahead of the Blues’ round six clash against the Kangaroos – O’Connell and several players were at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital to visit patients.
“Mental health nursing was genuinely something that I really enjoyed,” O’Connell told this masthead.
“I’m just so fortunate to have that, and I’m really lucky as well that when I do go home, I can just pick up where I left off.”
Adhering to a gruelling schedule, O’Connell would work 12-hour shifts as a nurse in a psychiatric ward – often working through her lunch breaks – and then head off to training to play Gaelic football for Doora-Barefield.
While admitting the workload was “pretty crazy”, O’Connell said her experience as a mental health care professional equipped her with transferable footy skills.
“When you think you’re so tired, you’re not,” she said.
“That resilience has stayed with me. Even on the field where you think you’re completely finished and you want your rotation to come ASAP, or the siren to go off, you know that you can dig deep.
“I’ve seen such cruel things in the world and things I never thought could even happen … so kind of knowing that I’m so lucky where I am, the opportunities I’ve got in life, and how far I’ve come, you just want to build on that and grow and be able to help someone else out down the line.”
Standing at 182 centimetres, O’Connell’s strength and speed were on display during her debut against Brisbane in round three. The Blues have won four out of their five games and are third on the ladder – the team’s best start to an AFLW season in several years.
“I think we’ve been very fortunate, me, Aisling and Maria [Cannon], we kind of all came in from Ireland this year, and we’ve been fortunate to be on the lucky side so far,” O’Connell said.
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“So, like, the season has had a great start, but speaking to the girls from experience, it hasn’t always been this way, so it’s keeping yourself in line, not riding the roller-coaster, we’re only five rounds in.”
The 24-year-old said she’s slowly getting used to the Aussie accent and also adjusting to the physical nature of AFLW.
“I feel like I’m still doing the 12-hour shift, but it’s just a different type of job at the minute,” she joked.
“Like this is so physical and everything, whereas that one [nursing job] was so mentally kind of [tough]. I miss all the girls, I miss the clients, everything like that.
“But other than that, I know that I’m gonna have that for the rest of my life. So kind of following this opportunity when it arose was the right thing to do, and I’m so glad I did.”
