ROSEBUD teenager Amaia Heath has been selected to represent Australia in the Under-15 Ladies’ Gaelic Football team.
“I felt excited and proud. I couldn’t believe that I would be representing my country and travelling to Ireland to play,” she said.
Amaia has grown up playing competitive sports, including Australian Rules football and basketball. She credits these experiences with building her fitness, resilience, game sense, and love for teamwork.
“Since 2024 I’ve played in a few [Gaelic football] tournaments for Young Melbourne,” she said.
“I was introduced to it through my private AFL football coach Dean Jones, and the game really suits me because I love to run and it’s like a game of football and basketball combined.”
Her selection comes after a standout AFL season, in which she was named League Best and Fairest. Amaia’s dedication, adaptability, and skill made her a strong candidate for the national team.
The international competition, the John West LGFA Féile tournament, will be held in Derry, Ireland, in June. It brings together elite under-15 Gaelic football teams from Ireland and the global community.
To help make the trip possible, Amaia has launched a fundraiser on the Australian Sports Foundation website, aiming to raise $10,000 to cover the expenses and allow her to prepare and compete to the best of her ability,
“Gaelic football is a proudly amateur sport, and representative tours like this are mostly self-funded. Families are responsible for expenses such as international flights, accommodation, team levies, uniforms and preparation costs,” she wrote on her fundraiser through the Australian Sports Foundation website.
“That’s why I’m fundraising – to help make this once-in-a-lifetime experience possible and to allow me to prepare and compete to the very best of my ability.”
Amaia also highlighted the people who have inspired her journey.
“My dad because he encouraged me from a young age and continues to support me. I’m also inspired by athletes such as Stephen Curry in the NBA because of his work ethic and skill and I loved watching Buddy Franklin when he was playing in the AFL.
“I also enjoyed being coached by Tyla Hanks as part of the Melbourne FC NGA Academy and she’s a great role model to aspire to in the AFLW.
“Also, my local coaches in football at Rosebud and Dromana Football Club Troy Palmer and my basketball coach Ryan Miller have had a big influence.”
Amaia will be accompanied to Ireland by her father and grandfather.
“It’s an opportunity to challenge myself in a new environment, develop as a person and test my skills against international competition, all while experiencing Gaelic football in the country where it began. I’m committed to putting in the work required to represent my team, my family and my community with pride.”
Two local businesses supporting the fundraising drive are MP Glass and Screens, and the Hove Café.
To donate go to: tinyurl.com/Amaiaheath
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 4 March 2026
