The Brisbane Lions AFLW side are excited to announce the signing of Irish rookie Caitlin Kennedy for the 2026 AFLW Season.
Recruited from Tipperary, Kennedy plays predominately as a defender in Gaelic Football but has spent time in the midfield, with her size and speed helping her to impact games.
Kennedy comes to AFLW with her sister Anna-Rose having played three seasons with Geelong and hailing from the same town as current Lions winger, Orla O’Dwyer and Geelong forward, Aishling Moloney.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Brisbane Lions. I can’t wait to immerse myself in the club and learn from the players and coaching staff,” Kennedy said
“The Lions have built an amazing culture and had great success over recent years, and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it.
“I’m really excited to embrace the challenge of a new sport and country.”
Kennedy currently works as a radiologist in Dublin and has juggled her Gaelic football commitments around her off-field career.
Kennedy’s athleticism is similar to that of her Irish counterparts O’Dwyer, Neasa Dooley and Jennifer Dunne, something which caught the eye of Lions AFLW Senior coach, Craig Starcevich.
“What’s most noticeable about Caitlin’s game style is how aggressively and powerfully she carries the ball,” Starcevich said.
“She has rare speed and agility for her height and uses it to take on traffic ahead of her and we think these attributes will cross over well to our game.
“Whilst we are still getting to know each other, Caitlin has impressed us with how she’s managed her work and football schedule in Ireland and is determined to explore how far she can progress as a Brisbane Lions player.
“We look forward to her arrival in the new year.”
Kennedy with become the fourth Irish player on the AFLW list and the seventh across both programs at the Lions joining O’Dwyer, Dooley and Dunne and Conor McKenna, Darragh Joyce and Ben Murphy on the AFL list.
