'A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'

Niall Keenan

For James Brady, a 24-hour journey from Ireland to Melbourne was always going to be worth it.

When his daughter Ellie spotted him and her aunt Susan on the sideline ahead of her AFLW debut for Collingwood on Sunday, every mile travelled had been justified.

The Ballyhaise woman made her first appearance in the competition as the Magpies took on Essendon, with her father and aunt among those watching on from the stands.

It proved a memorable afternoon for the former Cavan Ladies starlet, who marked her debut with a goal as Collingwood suffered a narrow 38-31 defeat.

Speaking to the Celt on his way home from Melbourne, James admitted it was a special occasion for the family, having made the trip Down Under to witness a moment Ellie had been working towards since her early teens.

"Ah, it's a great buzz. Look, sure, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I'm glad she took it with both hands," he said.

"She's a girl that's very hard on herself and a lot of the ones around the county would know that. She likes to be a perfectionist.

"It went well and I was just delighted for her."

The Collingwood club arranges for the parents of players to attend their AFLW debut, adding another special touch to an already significant occasion.

However, Ellie was unaware that her father had made the journey until the moment unfolded.

"I told her during the week that I wasn't over, and I landed here on Saturday night. I didn't contact her at all," James explained.

"One of the club officials picked me up from the hotel we were staying in and brought us to the game, so it was good."

There was an emotional moment during the warm-up when Ellie spotted her father and aunt on the sideline, while she was also presented with a plaque ahead of her first start.

But the biggest moment was still to come.

With Collingwood trailing 35-18 in the third quarter, Brady provided the Magpies with something to celebrate when she burst through to kick her first career goal.

James admitted he was thrilled to see his daughter make such an immediate impact.

"It was class. Yeah, it was class," he said.

"I didn't know it was on the tele until the ones that were at home watching rang to say, 'We're after seeing your ugly mug on the tele'."

While the result did not go Collingwood's way, the significance of the occasion was not lost on the Brady family.

"You take the good times when you get them because there does be a lot of bad ones," James added.

"Even though they lost, they were all delighted after the game.

Brady's journey to the AFLW stage has been years in the making.

Having captained Cavan's minors to their first-ever All-Ireland A Ladies title in 2024, she also collected a Senior Division Three National League medal and Ulster Intermediate Championship title last year.

Her performances for Cavan and at Maynooth University, where she helped the college win the 2025 Curran Cup, earned her a two-year rookie deal with Collingwood running until the end of 2027.

She had previously made five appearances in the VFLW, scoring twice, but Sunday's outing represented the fulfilment of an ambition she had held since her early teens.

"She has wanted this from she was about 13 or 14 years old," James revealed.

"She seen Aishling Sheridan playing for Collingwood and she wanted to go out and try it in Australian Rules.

"She has wanted this.

"She chatted to Aishling when she was involved with the Cavan seniors and it was a good help to tell her what to expect and that. But it's something she's wanted to do since she was 13 or 14."

Former Cavan teammate Sheridan was among the Irish players to have previously represented Collingwood, while Brady also received plenty of support from within the club.

James highlighted the influence of Sabrina Frederick, who made her final appearance for the 'Pies at the weekend, revealing the connection she had developed with Ellie since her arrival in Australia.

"From the time Ellie stepped off the plane, Sabs was like a mother to her," he said.

"The club, in fairness, did say, 'One legend retiring, and hopefully the makings of another', so it was nice."

Sunday's appearance may have come towards the end of Collingwood's campaign, but James believes it provides his daughter with an excellent platform heading into next season.

Brady missed much of last year's pre-season due to her college commitments, with her preparations not getting underway until May, but she will now have the opportunity to complete a full pre-season with the Magpies.

"She'll be home now in a couple of weeks and she's back out in March for pre-season," he explained.

"She missed her pre-season last year with college and didn't get going until May, so that set her back a wee bit. But she'll get the full pre-season next time around."

And while James was quick to admit that he is still learning the intricacies of Australian Rules football, he was left in no doubt that his daughter had made the most of her opportunity.

"Now, I don't know much about it, but they tell me she didn't look out of place."

For a father who had travelled halfway around the world for just a few days, there was never really any question over whether the journey had been worthwhile.

"I tell you, it was well worth it," he said.

"People said to me, 'You're an eejit going for three days', but it was well worth it just to be there."