Irish AFLW recruit Saoirse Lally is still learning Australian slang after making a rapid transition from Gaelic football to St Kilda, where a question from coach Nick Dal Santo left her expecting a lift rather than asking about her wellbeing.
At the Saints’ season launch, Dal Santo asked Lally, “How are you travelling?” The 24-year-old, who previously captained County Mayo, replied: “By car.”
“Oh god, I had no idea what that meant,” Lally said. “I think nearly every day someone says something, and I don’t know whether to say ‘what does that mean’ or just to like nod and smile. But I’m getting there.”
Lally was speaking with families alongside teammate Sophie Butterworth when the exchange took place. Her adjustment to life in Australia has extended well beyond language, with the former Gaelic footballer having to learn a new code after joining St Kilda in the pre-season draft.
She has brought speed and athleticism to the Saints’ midfield and made her AFLW debut against Geelong just 15 weeks after being drafted. Lally is among 46 Irish players now competing in the league, a figure she said she was proud to be part of.
Butterworth praised her new teammate’s commitment to understanding Australian rules football, including the work she has put into analysing the game.
“She’s just done so much homework to being able to analyse the game… and we’re really proud of how she’s stepped into this environment,” Butterworth said.
Lally worked as a physiotherapist in Dublin before moving to Australia and had already built an impressive sporting record. Her path towards a full-time career in sport was thrown into doubt in 2024, when a routine cardiac screening arranged by the Gaelic Players Association detected an irregularity on her electrocardiogram.
Further tests showed she needed a cardiac ablation to correct an irregular heart rhythm. “When the whole heart situation happened two years ago, I was kind of thinking, ‘oh, like, will I even play sport again’,” Lally said. “Everything was in question.”
The experience encouraged her to take opportunities as they arose, helping her make what she described as a “bittersweet” decision to leave Ireland. She said she has rarely felt homesick since arriving, crediting St Kilda’s welcoming environment.
The Saints, however, are still searching for their first win of the 2026 season after four straight defeats. They share that record with Collingwood, Essendon and West Coast, having suffered a 92-point loss to reigning premiers North Melbourne last week.
St Kilda face a new-look Richmond at Windy Hill on Sunday, with Butterworth insisting the group remains confident despite its difficult start.
“Progress isn’t always linear,” she said. “We’ve still got weeks of football ahead of us, so for us, it’s sticking together, trusting the work that we’re doing, and just continuing to get better.”
