The stage is set for the sold-out 2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match at North Sydney Oval on Saturday, August 1, with Jasmine Garner and Orla O’Dwyer appointed captains of Australia and Ireland respectively for the historic clash.
Following the strong demand for the match, the AFL is also pleased to confirm a limited number of additional tickets will be released at 2pm AEST on Tuesday, 28 July via Ticketmaster.
No stranger to the captaincy role, Garner led North Melbourne to its second consecutive premiership in 2025 during her first season as captain, having served as vice-captain for the previous seven seasons.
An eight-time All-Australian, Garner has also been named captain of the AFLW All-Australian team on three occasions (2022 S7, 2024 and 2025).
Garner said she was honoured to be named captain of Australia.
“To captain the Australian team is a massive honour and something I’m really proud of,” Garner said.
“To be named to play for Australia is one thing, but to be entrusted with the captaincy is another.
"We’ve got a great group of players coming together from across the competition and I’m really excited to play alongside them.”
Hailing from Tipperary, O’Dwyer is the most experienced player in Ireland’s 25-player squad and has played 82 games for the Brisbane Lions since her AFLW debut in Round 1, 2020.
A dual premiership player (2021 and 2023), O’Dwyer became the first Irish AFLW player to earn All-Australian honours when she was selected in the team in 2022 S7.
O’Dwyer said she was grateful for the opportunity to captain Ireland.
"It's such a privilege and I'm extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to lead my country for a historic occasion,” O’Dwyer said.
"Looking back to when I first came to Australia, I didn't know what the game was or where I'd get to. So, to now be able to lead Ireland in a representative match is a huge honour.
"We've got a great group of competitors in the Irish team, and we're determined to represent our country with pride."
The 2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match will be played under Australian Football rules, using a classic Sherrin football, and bring together some of the competition’s biggest stars and emerging talent to celebrate the continued growth of women’s football and the strong connection between AFLW and Ireland.
Starting at 4.15pm AEST, the match will be broadcast live nationally on Fox Footy, Kayo Sports, Kayo Freebies and Binge.
Fans across Sydney can also experience the excitement of the occasion beyond North Sydney Oval by attending a watch party at participating venues.
These include the Coogee Bay Hotel (Coogee), PJ O’Brien’s (Sydney CBD), Clovelly Hotel (Clovelly), Shea’s (Clovelly), Rag & Famish (North Sydney), The Henson Park Hotel (Marrickville), The Bellevue Hotel (Paddington) and Club Five Dock RSL (Five Dock).
The W Club at The Aviary Hotel (Abbotsford) will also host a watch party for fans across Melbourne.
For more information about the 2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match, visit AUSVIRL.AFL