IT'S THE last of the mock teams.
After years of hypothetical all-Ireland sides, we're finally going to get the real thing, with the NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match now locked in for August 1 at North Sydney Oval.
With the real thing on the horizon, how could these two teams line up?
Like the men's AAMI Origin match earlier this year, we've extended the interchange bench to seven, given teams will most likely want to manage minutes of some of their stars.
The Australian team is based on last year's All-Australian side, with a few modifications.
Obviously, the five Irish players have been removed, while Ella Roberts has come off the wing to allow for the inclusion of Mikayla Bowen, who actually plays in that role on game day and was named in last year's All-Australian squad.
Other All-Australian squad members to be added to the mock team of 23 include Libby Birch, Gemma Houghton, Jade Ellenger, Ebony Marinoff, Mon Conti and Tilly Lucas-Rodd.
While the thought of big-game player and queen of the niggle, Emma Kearney, playing for her country is both entertaining and would be a nice nod to the first wave of AFLW players, her age and recent soft-tissue injury history means such a selection is unlikely.
As reigning All-Australian and premiership captain, Jasmine Garner gets the nod for Australian skipper, while we've given the Irish reins to Gold Coast co-captain Niamh McLaughlin.
The Irish team has been limited to players who have made their debut in the AFLW, ruling out the most recent wave of recruits.
It's an unsurprisingly quick team, but concerns over a lack of height are unfounded, given the presence of Aishling Moloney, Aine McDonagh and Vikki Wall (who is a little shorter, but is yet to meet a defender she couldn't bury into the turf) in attack, and three key backs in Jen Dunne, Clara Fitzpatrick and Kayleigh Cronin.
The versatility of Orlagh Lally and Rachel Kearns will help the Irish team management, there's plenty who can rotate between half-back, wing and half-forward, while Tanya Kennedy also capable of playing as a smaller lockdown defender if needed.
Two-time North Melbourne premiership coach Darren Crocker is hot favourite to lead the Aussies, with a tailor-made Irish answer in new Sydney counterpart Colin O'Riordan.
If selected in the Australian team, Garner and Marinoff will be the sole players who will have featured in both this representative match and the 2017 Victoria v Allies Origin game.
IRELAND MOCK TEAM
B: Jen Dunne, Kayleigh Cronin
HB: Dayna Finn, Clara Fitzpatrick, Sinead Goldrick
C: Grace Kelly, Aisling McCarthy, Niamh Kelly
HF: Orla O'Dwyer, Aine McDonagh, Sarah Rowe
F: Vikki Wall, Aishling Moloney
Foll: Eilish O'Dowd, Erone Fitzpatrick, Niamh McLaughlin (captain)
I/C: Orlagh Lally, Blaithin Bogue, Rachel Kearns, Erika O'Shea, Neasa Dooley, Tanya Kennedy, Niamh Martin
AUSTRALIA MOCK TEAM
B: Maeve Chaplin, Libby Birch
HB: Serene Watson, Harriet Cordner, Cambridge McCormick
C: Jade Ellenger, Tyla Hanks, Mikayla Bowen
HF: Kate Hore, Tahlia Randall, Gemma Houghton
F: Courtney Hodder, Indy Tahau
Foll: Mim Strom, Jasmine Garner (captain), Ash Riddell
I/C: Ella Roberts, Ebony Marinoff, Tilly Lucas-Rodd, Matilda Scholz, Mon Conti, Gab Newton, Georgie Prespakis
