Countdown begins as Maria Devenney gears up for historic match against AFL Masters

There is just under a month to go before the first ever Ireland Over-40s Ladies International team who take on the AFL Masters Australian team in two International Rules games, and at the minute, Donegal legend Maria Devenney is enjoying life with the Irish side in the coaching seat. 

Devenney is assisting manager Michael Moyles, former Mayo player and former Mayo LGFA manager, while also coaching alongside former Tipperary ladies football captain, Samantha Lambert, and UL ladies manager, DJ Collins. 

The matches will take place in Mullagh, Galway on March 9 and Denn, Cavan on March 16 alongside the men’s over-40s team and over-50s team. 

Diane McGlynn from Glenfin is a player on the current squad who met up earlier this week for their first training which Devenney said is going well at the minute and the panel are really looking forward to next month when the matches begin. 

“It’s been absolutely brilliant so far,” Devenney said. “Talking to the girls in the panel, the only word I can use to describe them is ‘buzzing’. This is an opportunity to play for your country and it’s a really big deal. 

“They all know it’s a really big opportunity for them to get back out playing again, getting their football boots on and just going for it. But overall, they’re really enjoying it.” 

Devenney has summed up their first gathering as a panel and how they’re adapting to the rules of the new game. 

“In our first session, it was just about getting all the girls together, letting them get to know each other and building their skillset as players. It’s about learning as we start to introduce the changes in the game,” said the Donegal legend. 

“Today it was all about the tackle. They were getting stuck in again, it was loads of fun and the girls were really embracing it. We played a game at the end there and it looked like some of the girls were doing these types of tackles all their life . . . maybe some of them were doing these tackles back in the day,” Devenney joked. 

In terms of working with this current management team the former player has described it as a dream team, stating she is continuously learning from the other coaches over the past few days. 

“It’s a dream for me to work with this management team because their knowledge and experience is phenomenal.  

“I’m taking notes all the time of the drills they’re doing and what they’re saying. As coaches we’re just trying to bring the experience we have from playing for so many years and supporting the team.  

“We all get on really well as a management and that seems to be rubbing off on the team. We’re only two sessions in but it feels like I’ve known these players for years. So, it’s all positive, just roll on the 9th and 16th of March.”