Áine Tighe

Áine Tighe
Personal information
Born (1992-07-25) 25 July 1992
Original teams Leitrim, GAA
Draft International Rookie selection, 2019
Debut Round 1, 2022, Fremantle vs. West Coast, at Fremantle Oval
Height 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Position Forward
Club information
Current club Fremantle
Number 10
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2019– Fremantle 34 (29)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2025 season.
Career highlights
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Áine Tighe (born 25 July 1992) is an Irish Australian rules footballer for the Fremantle Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played Gaelic football in Ireland for Leitrim.

Early life

Tighe is a native of Kiltubbrid, County Leitrim, Ireland.[1] She played Gaelic football for Leitrim GAA,[2] where she captained her side to two county championships.[3] She left home to attend the University of Limerick, playing Gaelic Football with future Fremantle teammates Aisling McCarthy and Joanne Cregg.[3] She missed an Irish recruitment camp in Australia in 2018 after suffering an ACL injury.[3] She was working as a teacher while recovering from her injury in 2019.[3] Later that year, she was picked to represent Ireland at the AFL Europe Championship in London.[3]

AFLW career

At the end of 2019, Tighe was recruited to the Fremantle Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW) in Australia to fill the ruck role.[1] However, in late January 2020, she tore her ACL for a second time in a pre-season game against Adelaide.[2][3] After missing the entire 2020 season,[4] she went on to miss the entire 2021 season as well due to a medial meniscus tear.[3] She made her debut in the opening round of the 2022 AFL Women's season 6.[4] She kicked her first goal against Richmond in round three and then was forced into defence following an injury to Janelle Cuthbertson.[3]

Tighe became a mainstay of Fremantle's forward line during the 2022 AFL Women's season 7, culminating in her finishing third in the Fremantle fairest and best award[5] and was the club's leading goalkicker for the season with 11 goals.[3] In round three of the 2023 season, she kicked three goals and had 12 marks (five contested) and 20 disposals in a win over Hawthorn.[6] She again led the club for goals kicked with nine.[7]

In week four of the 2024 season, Tighe suffered another ACL injury, causing her to miss the remainder of the season.[8] She returned midway through the 2025 season,[8] but suffered another knee injury in her first game back.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b McGoldrick, Seán (29 August 2023). "All systems go for Áine Tighe in the Australian Football League". SundayWorld.com. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Freo facing ruck crisis after Tighe's ACL blow". afl.com.au/aflw. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Reilly, Eliza (6 September 2024). "From Ireland to the AFLW, charting Aine Tighe's rise to Fremantle stardom". codesports.com.au. Retrieved 13 October 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  4. ^ a b O'Connor, Colm (8 January 2022). "Leitrim's Áine Tighe makes overdue Australian debut". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  5. ^ Reilly, Eliza (11 November 2022). "Turbo BnF time! Bowers does what no Docker has since 2019". The West Australian. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  6. ^ Harrington, Anna (16 September 2023). "Irish sensation Tighe steers Dockers past Hawks in AFLW". PerthNow. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Australian Football - Fremantle WFC Football Club - Honour Board". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  8. ^ a b "AFLW TEAMS: Freo's forward boost, Pies skipper in, big Saints blow". afl.com.au/aflw. 10 October 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  9. ^ O'Donoghue, Craig (12 October 2025). "Fremantle Dockers forward Aine Tighe has worrying knee pain after return from reconstruction against Melbourne". The West Australian. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
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