Dublin ladies coach Mick Bohan is sanguine on the loss of footballers to the Australian professional game as he believes it shows that the LGFA game is in good shape.
Sinead Goldrick is one of the familiar faces that will be absent as the league campaign kicks off this weekend, as her adventure at Melbourne Football Club.
"It will be a big change. The two girls start out this weekend and that whole situation that has probably come from left field a little bit," said Bohan.
"Part of you would say that it has probably risen the status of female sports in that our top players are now seen as being at a level that they can be brought into a professional game.
"The flip side is that we probably don't want to be losing our top players.
"But at the moment it works because their competition is seasonal and still fits in with our competition, if that were to change then I suppose we would all change our viewpoint of it a little.
"For the moment, we wish the girls well, we will be keeping an eye on them and hope that they come back safe to us in March."
Mick Bohan on 'evolving' game
"It is not physicality for the sake of physicality.
"There are so many instances in the game where the ball is there to be won. The raw emotion of trying to be successful to try and win a ball is pulled from them.
"Why? Because it is deemed to be too dangerous or too physical or whatever.
"I just feel that we don't allow females the credit that they deserve in that capacity.
Tipp Ladies' @MoloneyAishling spoke to @MaireTNC on the eve of the #LGFA league kick-off this weekend! | @tippladiesFB #Tipp pic.twitter.com/5K3oybfkz8
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) January 21, 2020
"If you went into a ring and told Katie Taylor that she couldn't punch someone in the head, is that now boxing?
"You have to deal with things as they evolve. The game has evolved. Now the girls are extremely well-conditioned - not just us.
"I still look back to the All-Ireland final in Mayo in our first year, and there was a huge contact in that game.
"Seamus Mulville allowed it, and the arena demanded that. As a result, it was a great spectacle."
