Meath All-Ireland winner Vikki Wall looking forward to next chapter in Australia

While some of her teammates will be continuing to celebrate Sunday's TG4 All-Ireland football victory over Kerry for the rest of the week, things are a little different for Vikki Wall.

The Dunboyne powerhouse will be jetting off to Australia on Friday to begin the next chapter of her sporting life, having signed a professional contract with North Melbourne earlier in the year.

Her Meath manager Eamonn Murray admitted after Sunday's victory that it had been emotional at the full-time whistle, as it dawned on himself and his players that there would be a breakup of this exceptional squad, even if it's only a partial one.

There won't be too much time for acclimatisation for Wall, with Melbourne set to begin their pre-season schedule tomorrow. Wall is targeting a meeting with Adelaide Crows on 13 August for her club debut.

"I've to say goodbye to a few people, fit a few people in," she says of her last few days in Ireland.

"I had my bags packed before Sunday's game. They've a pre-season game on 3 August, and then they've another one on the 13th against Adelaide, which I'm hoping to tog out for.

"It's probably been the best thing to have beforehand, in a sense. I have been working with North Melbourne the last while, doing a few bits and pieces.

"Both have been a nice distraction from each other. It's nice to flick on a few of the Aussie Rules games to take your mind off GAA, and then if I'm getting too caught up in that, I put on some of the old Meath games to switch off."

Wall is one of 21 Irish players to have secured contracts in Australia this year, alongside the likes of her teammate Orlagh Lally, Cork's Erika O'Shea and Dublin's Sinead Goldrick.

The 23-year-old is unquestionably one of the game's top players over here, having