Carlton Football Club has announced the exciting additions of Irish athletes Dayna Finn and Erone Fitzpatrick to their AFLW team during the Sign and Trade period. The versatile duo brings a wealth of transferable skills from their experiences in Gaelic football, basketball, soccer, and camogie.
Dayna Finn of Ireland during the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2023 Qualifier match between Ireland and Netherlands at National Basketball Arena in Dublin. (Photo By Harry Murphy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Dayna Finn, a 23-year-old former Gaelic footballer, has transitioned to basketball in recent years and now represents Ireland at the national level. As a sports scholar at Trinity College Dublin, her basketball knowledge is expected to help her adapt to AFLW, just like teammates Kerryn Peterson, Jess Good, and Taylor Ortlepp, who also transitioned from professional basketball.
Erone Fitzpatrick of Laois in action against Clara Donnelly of Wexford during the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Intermediate Championship Final match between Laois and Wexford at Croke Park in Dublin. (Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Erone Fitzpatrick, 22, boasts a remarkable sporting resume, including being named in the 2017 and 2021 Ladies Football Team of the League and receiving the 2018 Leinster Gaelic Football Player of the Year award. She has also achieved team success with Ireland in 2019, 2021, and 2022.
Carlton’s Head of Football, Brad Lloyd, expressed excitement about the potential of Finn and Fitzpatrick to thrive in AFLW. The club plans to invest heavily in their development, drawing on their history of successfully transitioning athletes from different sports codes.
Carlton is eager to welcome the Irish duo as they make the move to Australia in the coming months.
