Brisbane Lions star reveals the Gaelic career sacrifice that led to All-Australian glory
Irish star Jennifer Dunne never expected All-Australian selection after her 2025 season with the Lions, yet her sacrifice of Gaelic football has delivered the ultimate recognition.
On the morning of the AFLW Awards Brisbane Lions defender Jennifer Dunne shrugged off the suggestion she was going to be named All-Australian later that night.
Her teammates were much more bullish about the 25-year-old’s chances however the Irishwoman was happy just to have been considered in the initial 42-player squad.
Yet hours later Dunne heard her name called out alongside teammate Courtney Hodder as one of two Lions in the 21-player team of the season.
It was just desserts following an incredible individual campaign from the 178cm key defender, who this season established herself as one of the premier one-on-one stoppers in the competition.
The Lions landed a major coup in 2023 when they convinced the Gaelic Football star to fly across the world and join fellow Irishwoman Orla O’Dwyer on the club’s AFLW list.
Dunne landed in Australia only weeks after helping Dublin to an All-Ireland title triumph and made it a historic premiership double that November when the Lions knocked off North Melbourne in the 2023 AFLW decider.
A bona fide star of the Ladies’ Gaelic Football Association, Dunne juggled playing duties for both codes in 2023 and 2024 but this year made the difficult decision to focus solely on the AFLW.
“This is the first year I’ve done a full pre-season in Australia,” Dunne told this masthead.
“The two years prior I would have gone home to play Gaelic and done the back-to-back which I have loved, but this year I gave (AFLW) my full focus.
“I’m probably reaping the rewards a bit in terms of the (All-Australian) nomination and whatnot but I think every year I have grown in confidence a bit more.”
Dunne admitted she did feel a pang of jealousy when she watched Dublin defeat Meath to claim their seventh All-Ireland title in early August but she has “no regrets” about her decision.
“The Dublin girls won this year so that was hard,” she said.
“I know Goldie (Melbourne’s Sinead Goldrick) and Eilish (O’Dowd from GWS) both did the two (seasons) and good on them, I was jealous in a sense, but I chose this as my path this year and I have no regrets about it.
“If we were successful this weekend that would be the cherry on top.
“I think with all the Irish players it is a constant toss-up with what you do and I guess there are so many Irish coming over that we have obviously put our mark on this game and given it a good crack.
Brisbane skipper Bre Koenen, who plays alongside Dunne in the back line, hailed her teammate’s selfless sacrifice and commitment to improve.
“I honestly think it is so understated what the Irish players do for us and how much they sacrifice, moving so far away from family,” Koenen told this masthead.
“Orla (O’Dwyer) has a few cousins in Sydney and Neasa (Dooley) has her brother in Brisbane but most of their family are 20-plus hours away so the sacrifice those girls make to be here is incredible.
“To see Jenn rewarded individually for the commitment she has made is really important and something I am really proud of her for.
“You want those individual accolades but I’m sure she would love a premiership medal even more.
“Jen wouldn’t say it but she is an incredible leader on the field as well now.
“She has got a wealth of experience and she probably knows a little bit more about the game than she lets on sometimes.
“She has just slotted in so well. She is part of the furniture now.”
Dunne is not the first nor the last Irish player to take to Aussie rules like a duck to water.
Only this year Kildare star Dooley made the swap and will line up alongside Dunne and O’Dwyer for the Lions in the grand final this weekend.
A record five Irishwomen were named in this year’s All-Australian team including North Melbourne forward Bláithín Bogue, who will be a major headache for Dunne and the Brisbane backline this weekend.
“Bogue is another fantastic Irish player and it is great to see her taking to it so well,” Dunne said.
“I never really came across her prior to playing against her earlier in the year. I just had a quick chat afterwards to say hello and well done and whatnot.
“There is that mutual respect across the board from all the Irish players but come game day it will be white line fever – we are all competitors at the end of the day.
“Across the board I think all of us Irish are super proud of how we carry ourselves. We love putting Ireland on the map.
“It’s such a small country on the other side of the world, so the fact we have such an impact on the competition over here is nice in a way. It feels like you are representing your family and friends back home.”
Incredibly, grand finals against North Melbourne are all Dunne has known since she made the move to Australia three years ago.
In 2023 she and the Lions were victorious, however last year the Kangaroos were dominant 44-point victors.
Now as the Lions prepare for the highly anticipated grand final trilogy this weekend, Dunne said the Brisbane back line was laser focused on helping topple the all-conquering Kangaroos.
“This is my third year playing finals and every year you get a bit better at dealing with the high pressure environment,” she said.
“Having someone like Shannon (Campbell) and Bre who have both hit 100 games this year, as well as Nat (Grider) and Jade (Ellenger) … having those girls around you offers so much support and an element of calmness.
“This is I think Bre and Shannon’s seventh grand final, which is crazy. They have so much experience and that is something as a group we have discussed, about how experienced we are in finals and how that stands for something.
“I have complete trust in knowing they have been there before and they trust me. That really comes to the fore when as a back line you are united and playing for each other.”
Originally published as Brisbane Lions star reveals the Gaelic career sacrifice that led to All-Australian glory
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