North Melbourne’s Niamh Martin sees risky move from Ireland pay off ahead of AFLW grand final

Niamh Martin ruefully jokes she has her AFLW grand ultimate look all sorted. 

The North Melbourne participant’s dad and mom flew out from her native Eire for final Sunday’s preliminary ultimate in opposition to Adelaide and have been shocked when their daughter had a heavy collision just a few metres from them early within the sport.

Martin was cleared to return to the sphere, however solely minutes later was pressured off once more following a nasty knock to her left eye.

She didn’t want a concussion check and can play in opposition to the Brisbane Lions in Sunday’s grand ultimate at Princes Park in Melbourne, referring to her fats lip and bruised eye socket as “lipstick, eye shadow”.

“I look powerful now for Sunday,” Martin mentioned.

Martin has a sore jaw and several other bruises after North’s epic one-point preliminary ultimate win over the Crows, however in any other case is “all grand”.

“I undoubtedly struggled on Sunday evening making an attempt to eat my dinner, however fortunately I awakened feeling higher than I believed I might,” she mentioned.

Mother and father Mike and Ann have been going to fly again after the sport, however have prolonged their keep to soak up the grand ultimate.

By the ultimate siren that they had recovered from the early shock of being positive their daughter had a damaged jaw.

“They’re typical Irish, they gave the powerful love — ‘Ah, you are grand’,” Martin mentioned with fun.

The 23-year-old laughs so much and can’t imagine her success.

She is a part of the inflow of Irish gamers which were a spotlight of this AFLW season.

“I am delighted I made the transfer,” she mentioned.

“It was a tough transition — a couple of days whenever you’d be questioning whether or not that is for me. ‘Did I make the precise determination?’.

“To finish up in a grand ultimate, it undoubtedly was the precise determination. Thank God I took it.

“It is a possibility you possibly can’t let slide.”

Considered one of her opponents in Sunday’s showpiece, Brisbane star Orla O’Dwyer, was a teammate of Martin’s after they helped Tipperary win an All-Eire intermediate ultimate in Gaelic soccer 4 years in the past.

West Coast participant Aisling McCarthy is one other Tipperary alumna who has impressed Martin.

Rapt concerning the Tipperary illustration in Sunday’s grand ultimate, Martin has nice respect for O’Dwyer.

“I do not like taking part in in opposition to her, but it surely’s thrilling to be able to play in opposition to her,” Martin mentioned.

“And he or she’s been nothing however encouraging since I got here onto the Tipperary crew.

“No matter occurs, at the least the cup goes to Tipperary.”

The AFLW introduced on Friday morning it was releasing a small variety of further tickets to the sport, after tickets have been offered out inside three hours of happening sale on Monday.

The AFLW Grand Ultimate kicks-off at 2.30pm in Melbourne and 1.30pm in Brisbane. Be part of Dean Bilton at abc.internet.au/sport for stay protection of the match.

AAP/ABC