By John Harrington

Dublin LGFA star, Sinead Goldrick, is happy to be tangled up in blue again.

She missed last year’s All-Ireland winning campaign after deciding to focus solely on her AFLW commitments with Melbourne Demons, but last month returned to Mick Bohan's panel.

Goldrick recently signed a new two-year contract with the Demons, but for as long as Dublin are involved in championship football this year she’s available for selection.

"I'm just absolutely delighted to be back wearing the Dublin jersey and be training with the girls, loving it, to be honest,” said Goldrick today at the launch of the 2024 Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps.

“I'm trying to get used to playing with the round ball again, but, in terms of the decision to come back I couldn’t be happier with it.

“Last year I decided not to play because I kind of felt like I needed a mental break. When you look back on my seasons it was Dublin then club and then Dublin and AFLW.

“So for a period of eight or nine years you were going between two elite teams so I kind of needed a break. It was hard, but it was the right thing, so I was able to watch on the girls knowing that.

“But if I didn't come back and play with Dublin this year I would have found it very hard. I knew if I was over in Australia doing pre-season now I would have found it really tough to watch the girls because you want to be part of it. I'm just absolutely loving being back.”

Goldrick, 33, first played with the Dublin senior team in 2008 so watching from afar while they won last year’s All-Ireland Final was a strange experience for her.

“I remember watching them while I was in bed,” she says. “I was more jealous of their celebrations than anything.

“I would have loved to have been part of it but I was just really happy for them especially terms for the new group of players coming through and what they achieved.

“I was very proud of them and definitely that really made want me to come back this year and play.

“But I was happy with my decision last year. It was more what I needed to do for myself.”

Goldrick joined up with Melbourne Demons in 2020 and helped them to Premiership glory in 2022.

She’s had to overcome bouts of homesickness along the way but overall she’s found it to be a hugely fulfilling chapter in her sporting career.

“You're training Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday over in Australia and you have so much time to go and get your physio, do your skills, do extras,” she says.

“If you want to be a good player, you have all the resources and tools. I just absolutely love being around that environment. Obviously over there now for four years or so with the girls, you're building more connections and the more love I have for them all.

“Once you love your team-mates you love the game and we want to achieve a lot together. We obviously won two years ago, had a disappointing year last season, so another goal of mine once the Gaelic is finished is to go back and do what I can for Melbourne.

“When we won the Premiership two years ago I did my MCL that year so I missed eight weeks. I remember having my review and though we had a great season I felt personally that I didn't achieve what I wanted to.

“I remember asking them what they wanted me to do to be a better player the next year and they gave me a list. I look back on last season and I didn't have any injuries and I really looked at everything they suggested if I wanted to improve.

“I came back into my review this year and they told me I did everything they asked of me. The previous year I came out of the review disappointed because I felt like I didn't produce the best version of myself, so it was nice to work hard at it and get a more positive review.

“In terms of having to overcome challenges as an athlete, it's been very fulfilling. And you're also growing as a person too because you don't have your support system around you the whole time in terms of your friends and family.”

Goldrick has been named at centre-back on the Dublin team to play Meath in Round 3 of the TG4 Leinster SFC this Sunday.

The same two teams have already qualified for the final the following weekend, but there will be no holding back such is the competition for places in Dublin’s panel.

Goldrick might be one of the most talented players to ever don the sky blue jersey, but she knows previous achievements count for nothing and so feels like she needs to prove herself all over again.

“I'm coming back in and just trying to get my position,” she says. “These girls are All-Ireland champions and you're just trying to get back to where you were.

“It has been challenging and I'm just hoping I can get back there. In terms of the round-ball, I hadn't played with one since the game against Donegal in 2022.

“I've been training since November over in Australia at both AFL and Gaelic. My AFLW coach has been doing Gaelic with me, which I doubt many would do, but he knew I wasn't getting enough of it from my own training so he's done stuff with me.

“I just wanted to make sure I came back in the best shape possible for the girls.

I have so much respect for (Dublin manager) Mick (Bohan) and I love that he's said to me that I need to be performing to play. That's what you're trying to do and it's the same for everybody.

“You need to be performing at training and then you need to be performing when you're playing. I'm trying my best so hopefully it will come into place.”