“Never say never” according to Amy Mulholland but the former Armagh football star has no plans to return to the GAA in the foreseeable future.
Mulholland (31) migrated to Australia in 2020 for non-footballing reasons.
The Covid-19 pandemic swept the world that year and amidst closed borders and separation from her family 10,000 miles away across the other side of the world, she forged a new life ‘Down Under’ in Australia.
The Forkhill woman is employed as an accountant four days a week which she combines with her football commitments as a small forward for finals-bound Fremantle.
The Dockers in fifth are only two points off top spot at the midway point of the 2024 AFLW season-despite losing Leitrim spearhead Aine Tighe for the rest of the season - but both the playing group and coaches are reluctant to use the ‘F’ word for finals.
“I love the lifestyle in Western Australia and after being here for five years, I have settled in with both football and my career, so I want to continue that,” Mulholland told the Irish News.
“I can never say never to Armagh because you never know what opportunities are around the corner, but at this stage of my life I want to stay in Australia.
“My mum is flying in today for three weeks and she will attend three home matches during that time including the West Australian derby against the West Coast Eagles on October 19.
“If I can travel back home once a year and the family can visit me, that works well for us.”
Mulholland, who was famously moved to tears when she was drafted on live television by the West Australian outfit in 2022, played eight matches and booted her first senior goal for Fremantle that year.
The 2018 Division 2 Player of the Year came to prominence with Fremantle coaches after kicking an impressive 48 goals from 12 games for Wembley Amateurs in 2021. The following year she was elevated to WAFLW level (an Australian rules reserves completion in Western Australia) for Subiaco.
Fremantle finished well outside of the top eight finals spots in 2022 and 2023 but this time around there is altogether different vibe around the club under head coach Lisa Webb. Webb, a retired Fremantle player, is the second former AFLW player to coach a women’s team at the highest level after signing a three-year deal with Fremantle earlier this year.
She recently praised her charges for being an ‘all in’ team.
“We’re an ‘all in’ team and its really family (orientated) and built around that, so I’m proud of the girls,” Webb explained.
It may be cliche, but under Webb’s tutelage, the Dockers have learned to take each game as it comes and embrace the methodology behind their tactics, which sporting teams often refer to as ‘the process’.
“We try not to think about finals, we are instead focused on the task in hand each week, especially in condensed weeks, when recently we have played three matches in 10-12 days,” Muholland said.
Unreal!!! I’m not crying, you are😭🥰 @freodockersAFLW you have a gem!!! Let the banter begin 👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/rJtlZ3OizP
— Aisling McCarthy (@aish_mac) June 29, 2022
“We’ve got five games left, and we want to continue building, and we have a huge focus on our connection as a team.”
Mulholland is usually included in the match-day squad, whether starting or off the interchange bench, and as a forward she has come to terms with the realisation that big disposal number as well as goals, marks, and tackles are not the make-or-break factors for her role within the team.
“Consistency is definitely the key to my improvement,” Mulholland said.
“Being in the forward line, I have harder role, and a lot of what I do is measured within the club by my off-ball focus, running off the ball, my tackle pressure, communication in the forward line, and building that connection with my teammates.
“It is like a jigsaw puzzle, and we don’t take much notice of external noise from people who don’t understand our roles within the team.
“Kicking goals is the icing on the cake but it’s not the be all and end all because you may only get a few moments to do that and there are a lot of non-negotiables within a game that we as players have to implement in every match.”
Last month, Mulholland enjoyed breakfast with her former Armagh teammates Blaithin Mackin, who plays for Melbourne, and Armagh Vice-Captain Lauren McConville who signed a one-year deal with the Gold Coast Suns this year.
“I went to secondary school together, with both Blaithin and Aimee Mackin, we played for Armagh together, and we have always remained close friends,” Mulholland said.
“I agree with Lauren that it’s difficult to explain why Armagh have not won an All-Ireland Ladies championship in the past two seasons, but they have so many All-star awards, which is very promising, so they are not far off.”
