A ticket waitlist has gone live for the 2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match after the historic clash sold out, with more than 8,000 fans set to pack North Sydney Oval on Saturday, 1 August.

Demand has been strong, with tickets exhausted weeks before the match and a Ticketmaster waitlist now in place.
 
Fans who missed out are encouraged to join the waitlist and will be the first to know should any additional tickets become available in the lead-up to the match.

The 2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match will be played under Australian Football rules, using a classic Sherrin football, and marks the first AFLW representative fixture since the one-off contest between Victoria and the Allies in 2017.
 
Starting at 4.15pm AEST, the match will be broadcast live nationally on Fox Footy, Kayo Sports, Kayo Freebies and Binge.
 
It will bring together some of the competition’s biggest stars and emerging talent, celebrating the continued growth of women’s football and the strong connection between AFLW and Ireland.

A big Swans contingent will be involved in the match with Chloe Molloy and Zippy Fish selected to represent Australia alongside Assistant Coach Tanya Hetherington. Coming up against their Swans teammates will be Paris McCarthy and Tanya Kennedy and Colin O'Riordan who was appointed Head Coach of Ireland.

Swans stars and representatives in the Australia v Ireland match: Zippy Fish, Chloe Molloy, Paris McCarthy and Tanya Kennedy. Image: Phil Hillyard


 Reigning AFLW Best and Fairest and dual North Melbourne premiership player Ash Riddell headlines the 25-player squad set to represent Australia. Riddell will be joined by some of the competition’s most decorated stars, including North Melbourne teammate Jasmine Garner, Melbourne’s Kate Hore, Richmond’s Monique Conti, and the Brisbane Lions’ Courtney Hodder, alongside young guns Georgie Prespakis (Geelong Cats), Matilda Scholz (Port Adelaide) and Zippy Fish (Sydney Swans).
 
Among the players named to represent Ireland is dual Brisbane Lions premiership player Orla O'Dwyer, who became the first Irish AFLW player to earn All-Australian honours in 2022. O’Dwyer will be joined by fellow All-Australians Dayna Finn (Carlton), Aine McDonagh (Hawthorn), Aisling McCarthy (Fremantle), Aishling Moloney (Geelong Cats) and Niamh Kelly (Adelaide Crows), as well as the hard-running Sarah Rowe (Collingwood) and Erika O’Shea (North Melbourne).
 
AFL Executive General Manager of AFLW, Health and Football Operations Laura Kane said the sell-out highlighted the excitement surrounding the representative fixture and thanked fans for their support.
 
“We can’t wait to welcome a full house at North Sydney Oval for the inaugural NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match,” Kane said.
 
“The sell-out reflects the excitement fans have for representative football on the AFLW stage and, on behalf of the AFL, I’d like to thank everyone who has got behind this historic clash – especially those who were able to secure tickets.
 
“For fans who missed out, make sure you register for the Ticketmaster waitlist. Should any additional tickets become available in the lead-up to the match, those on the waitlist will be the first to have the opportunity to access them.”

For more information about the 2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match, or to join the Ticketmaster waitlist, visit AUSVIRL.AFL