Clare native Ailish Considine concluded her first season of Aussie Rules with a Grand Final victory in front of a record 53,000 crowd.
Speaking on Monday’s OTB AM, the former Clare football and camogie star described the experience as "a whole other level" compared to her past outings in Croke Park.
The 53,000 crowd was the fifth highest attendance ever for a football match at the Adelaide Oval, and Considine scored a first quarter goal for the Adelaide Crows as she was watched on by her mother, brother and Irish rugby star sister, Eimear.
"It’s going to live on in my memory for a very long time and I'm just so happy my family were there to witness it and see that," Considine stated.
Retweet worthy! 🏆😁 #weflyasone pic.twitter.com/2StbeFv5mw
— Adelaide Crows AFLW (@CrowsAFLW) March 31, 2019
The crowd and atmosphere were a world apart from Considine’s previous experiences at GAA county level and the Grand Final crowd far exceeded the organisers and players expectations.
"We were expecting about 25 maybe 30,000 at a push," Considine explained.
"It was incredible to score a goal in front of that crowd and just hearing the roar – It’s just wow."
This is huge!! Record-breaking AFLW attendance here at Adelaide Oval! Thanks for helping us make history Crows fans 💙❤️💛 #weflyasone #crowsaflw pic.twitter.com/i5Oze5ifKb
— Adelaide Crows AFLW (@CrowsAFLW) March 31, 2019
The 26 year-old only moved to Adelaide in November but her debut season in Aussie Rules could hardly have gone much better and she noted had already surpassed her previous sporting highlight of playing and scoring in Croke Park.
Simply, she said: "It was absolutely insane."
"One of my main highlights from sport has been playing in Croke Park and scoring a goal there but this is just a whole other level when you are talking about professional athletes and 50,000 people in front of you, it's absolutely incredible."
It was also an experience Considine was nearly deprived of, when on the Sunday evening prior to the final Considine received a call informing her that she was being investigated by the League for tackles she had made in her previous match that could have led to a suspension for the final.
However, Considine was cleared to play and started the game as her side won by a convincing 45 points.
When asked about a potential move home, Ailish Considine implied that her aim is to renew her contract with the Adelaide Crows and defend their title.
"The plan is to hopefully get resigned and play again next year. Hopefully I get the opportunity to come back out and play another season."
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