Aisling Utri: From AFLW to Railway Union and the EHL Dream

When Aisling Utri arrived in Dublin this season, she brought with her more than suitcases and hockey sticks.

The Melbourne native carried a unique dual‑sport experience, a strong family connection to Ireland, and a long‑held ambition: to play in Europe, and ideally, on its biggest club stage of all, the Euro Hockey League.

The last of those elements is set to come true next Wednesday as she lines out with Railway Union against Watsonians in the EHL Women’s FINAL12.

It follows a whirlwind time in Ireland since arriving with her sister Ciara, scoring at a goal-a-game rate and netting a glorious shoot-out in last weekend’s Irish Senior Cup semi-final win over Loreto.

With a name like Aisling, the Irish connection was almost inevitable. Her mother grew up in Dublin before moving to Melbourne in her late twenties, and the family frequently returned to Ireland during Aisling’s childhood.

Holding an Irish passport helped solidify that sense of belonging but making the move herself took time.

“I’d always wanted to live overseas and especially to play hockey in Europe,” she says. “Ireland was the natural place because of family. A few years ago it wasn’t the right time, but last year I thought if I don’t do it now, I never will.”

Now 28, that is a reference to her earlier years tag-teaming elite hockey with the Australian Under-21s and a professional Aussie Rules football contract with the Western Bulldogs.

Indeed, she will be unique as the first person to have both the EHL and AFLW on her sporting CV.

Before she was a dual‑sport athlete, Utri was a teenager forced into a choice: pursue hockey or Australian Rules Football.

As a youngster, she combined both but found herself in a football system with limited opportunities for girls. After under‑12s she had to play in boys’ competitions or join an under‑18 side as a 13‑year‑old.

“I loved footy, but hockey was my first love and had a real international pathway. You could play for your country. That really drew me in.”

The decision seemed final until the Bulldogs came calling. Utri was invited into the AFLW system in 2016 and again in 2017, the first professional women’s Aussie Rules competition which was on the hunt for elite sports people for its competitions.

The second time, she said yes: “I thought, good things don’t pass you by twice. I had to give it a go.”

She was one of a number of “cross-coders” with Georgie Parker and Georgia Nanscawen also joining the fledgling league.

For Utri, balancing AFLW with Australia’s Under‑21 hockey programme was gruelling. She describes flights between states mid‑camp, conflicting fitness demands, and the challenge of managing a body needed to withstand both heavy contact for AFL while also needing the agile, fast hockey movement.

“There was a lot of planning needed to try and organise. There were some trips where I would be at a national junior camp and then fly out interstate to go play football game and then fly back in to join back into the camp. So it logistically didn’t work that well.

“It was too much to do both at a high level. My passion was truly in hockey, and eventually it became clear.”

Still, that stint in the AFLW would shape her in ways that remain visible: spatial awareness, game IQ, physical strength, and a competitive edge honed by one of the world’s toughest sports.

“I think the brains and the gameplay and everything were very transferable and that put me in really good stead.”

It would help her picked up a trio of Hockeyroo caps in 2023, scoring on debut in a 4-2 win over India before thoughts started to turn to trying out a new adventure.

The seeds were sown three years ago when Róisín Upton, Sarah Hawkshaw and Katie Mullan played in the Hockey One competition for Canberra Chill and they made time to chat.

“They just seemed like lovely, lovely girls. And the fact they took time out of their day to talk to me as well, it was just really nice.

“That put Railway on a really good foot as well. So we reached out to [coach] Una McCarthy and she thankfully got back to us and it all worked out!”

Upton and Hawkshaw will be at the EHL this year but not in the Railway colours they donned a year ago having been snapped up by Braxgata. Nonetheless, Utri has been glowing about her Irish experience to date.

“I cannot speak higher of the girls. They’re an amazing bunch of hockey players, but more importantly, people and the culture has just been really easy to jump into. And we felt very accepted and very welcomed right from the get-go.

“People always talk about Aussies being quite attacking and it’s been nice that Una’s given us that freedom to bring our style and our natural playing ways into the team.

“So we haven’t had to change too much and it’s been quite easy to slot in on a playing point of view as well with the girls.”

What has been harder to manage is the weather, experiencing over 50 consecutive days of rain in Dublin to start 2026 and not a single Thursday training has not been accompanied by a downpour.

But it is an experience she is relishing, particularly having watched the EHL for years.

“I’m a hockey nerd, I adore the EHL and I’ve dreamt of playing in it for age.”

The reality of playing in the competition only hit after signing for Railway.

“When we realised Railway were going, it felt surreal. Hearing the girls talk about last year’s experience… it’s so exciting.”

She’s honest about not knowing much about first opponents Watsonians yet, but trusts Railway’s preparation: “We’ll be ready on the start line.”

And on that start line, she will have the unique piece of history as the first AFLW-EHL crossover athlete.

“I’ll take that!” she laughs.

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