ONE of the best ladies footballers in Offaly has been drafted by a club in the Womens’ Australian Football League.

Ballycumber woman Amy Gavin-Mangan has been signed by North Melbourne FC, following an exodus of Irish players to Australia.

It was announced on Monday that Gavin-Mangan has been selected by the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos with pick No.43 in the 2024 Telstra AFLW Draft

25 year old Gavin-Mangan becomes the fifth player on the North Melbourne list, joining Vikki Wall (Meath), Erika O’Shea (Cork) Niamh Martin (Tipperary) and Bláithín Bogue (Fermanagh).

She has n automatic choice with Offaly ladies footballers for a few years and an outstanding performer on the dominant Offaly club team, the west Offaly and Ferbane based Naomh Ciaran.

She is following in the footsteps of another superb Offaly and Naomh Ciaran player, Kate Kenny who joined the Geelong Cats as a rookie earlier this season.