AFTER a swift 22-hour flight, Maria Cannon arrived in Australia to start her career as an AFLW player. 

Flying in from Burrishoole in Ireland, Cannon is swapping the round ball for the Sherrin and the County Mayo jersey for the Navy Blue. 

While there is a lot to learn about the country and the sport of AFL for the 22-year-old, she is so far loving the oddity that is Melbourne's weather.

“I’ve never been to Australia, this was my first long-haul flight, it was about 22 hours flying, so it was definitely a long flight, but I did sleep most of the way, so that definitely helped,” Cannon said. 

“The weather is definitely the main thing that is weird – in Ireland we don’t get that much sunny weather, even though the girls are telling me it’s really cold, but I’m definitely the one finding it really warm.”

Known as ‘one of the most exciting forwards in the game’ for County Mayo, Cannon is looking to make a strong impact in Carlton’s AFLW side – once she gets a firmer grasp on the intricacies of the game. 

Noting her elite kicking and speed as two of her main strengths, a spot on the wing is what Cannon will be eyeing off in 2025. 

“I’m a half forward in Gaelic, in this kind of aspect it’s a winger – it’s up and down the line, or the track, as many times as possible following the ball around,” she said. 

“Back home, my strength was my kicking ability, and apparently, I’m speedy as well. As the girls keep saying, I’m a bit of a ‘jet’, so those would be two of my strongest aspects.”

With home never far away, Cannon joins former County Mayo teammate Dayna Finn at IKON Park, and will have five other Irish players across the men's and women's programs, with new teammates Síofra O’Connell and Aisling Reidy arriving in June. 

“I played one or two years at County Mayo with Dayna, so it was great to have her here and she was so helpful in Ireland, telling me what to do when I get out here and what flights to take,” she said. 

“With the two girls coming over in June, we’ll have that kind of homey feeling with the Irish girls here as well and the two boys in the men's. 

“Just to be able to talk about something Irish that maybe the Aussies wouldn’t understand and make it feel like home.”

As for learning the game, Cannon has watched her fair share of AFLW on TV back home, and says her teammates are more than willing to help her learn the ropes. 

While she's getting used to the tackling aspect of the game, the 22-year-old is relisihng the professional environment and elite facility that is IKON Park. 

"The training has been tough but really enjoyable," she said.

"I thought it was very similar to Gaelic, but the tougher aspect is the training, that’s definitely different.

"It’s been so good, the facilities make it so much easier and the coaches and staff are so professional."