Aoibhin Cleary will make Richmond history on Saturday by becoming the first Irish player to play an AFLW game for the Club.

Cleary signed a two-year deal with the Tigers in February and has since been working tirelessly in preparation for her debut.

Come Saturday in Fremantle, she will don the guernsey for the first time.

Hailing from Donaghmore-Ashbourne, Ireland, the 26-year-old combines speed, agility and exceptional two-way running abilities, set to shine as she takes her place on the field, after performing strongly in scrimmages throughout the season so far.

Cleary rose through the ranks of Ireland’s Gaelic National Football League (NFL), where she is the captain of Meath.

She has played at the elite Gaelic level since she was 16 years old and went on to be selected in the NFL All-Star teams in 2021 and 2022.

Most notably, Cleary has played alongside fellow Irish AFLW stars Sarah Rowe (Collingwood), Aishling Moloney (Geelong) and Niamh Kelly (Adelaide), representing Dublin City University at the O’Connor Cup.

The Ireland native has left nothing on the table in both scrimmages and trainings, proving she is ready for the AFLW level. 

Coach Ryan Ferguson held high praise for the international recruit, telling the playing group it was only a matter of time before Cleary would debut. 

“The fact is, we have been talking about Aoibhin from a match committee perspective for a long time now,” Ferguson said. 

“We have been so excited, and what everyone saw on the weekend is that we have a player who has absolutely 100% earned their spot and is ready to perform.”

Cleary will make her AFLW debut this Saturday in Perth, when Richmond takes on Fremantle at 5:05pm.