‘Who knows?’ - Sarah Rowe on potential return to Mayo football

Sunday’s Connacht LGFA final between Mayo and Galway may be far from the sun-kissed shores of Saint Kilda in Melbourne. 

However, when the ball is thrown in in MacHale Park and the latest instalment of one of the West of Ireland’s most storied football rivalries gets underway, one set of eyes some 17,000 kilometres away will be glued to the screen and kicking every ball with her former team-mates.

READ MORE: McHale and Mayo relishing Galway challenge in Connacht Final

Sarah Rowe is someone who departed Irish shores for Collingwood some six seasons ago, but her love for her home county remains palpable. When asked about Sunday’s crunch meeting on OTB AM this morning, her burning desire to be out on the turf shone through.

“I would love to be playing in it,” she admitted.

The former Kilmoremoy native has just returned to AFL pre-season training with Collingwood in advance of the 2025 season.

However, there’s no doubt that the midfielder will have a distinct advantage over her teammates in the fitness front. In the Australian Rules off-season, Rowe swapped the oval for the soccer ball to great effect, linking up with A-League side the Central Coast Mariners.

It’s safe to say that was a successful move, as the Mariners secured the title in dramatic shootout fashion over Melbourne Victory on Sunday. Rowe has enjoyed success on the soccer field before, enjoying a previous stint at Bohemians.

READ MORE: Mayo learn their fate in All-Ireland Ladies Championship Draw

Still, the quality of the opposition Down Under was an eye-opening experience in her 21 Mariners appearances.

“In terms of the A-League, the standard is extremely high. A lot of the Matildas girls are playing in the league, and up-and-coming Matildas. And a lot of people are playing for their national teams.

“There's a girl on our team who played for Arsenal for 12 years, so there's lots of talent in the league.”

The challenges of blending inter-county Gaelic games and a full-time job outside of sport have been well-documented by this stage. For the sacred few pulling on the Green and Red year on year, the lifestyle of the likes of Rowe and Oisín Mullin must seem a world away.

“We train at 7am in the morning and we're done by 12, but we literally get in, have a half an hour meeting,” said Rowe. “We’re on the pitch for two hours and then in the gym for an hour. And that's the day done. It's a lot when we're in there, but then it's done by twelve, one o'clock.”

When asked about the potential of relocating to the West of Ireland and playing for Mayo at some stage down the track, the 2017 All-Ireland Finalist left the door ajar for a return.

“Who knows? I don't think I know myself,” she said.