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Padraig Lucey(right) at the AFL International Combine trials. Lorraine O'Sullivan/INPHO
Exile

High praise for Kerry Aussie Rules player from Geelong coach

Tommy Walsh may be back in Kerry but another Kerry man is making waves down under.

KERRY NATIVE PADRAIG Lucey caught the eye over the weekend as he is starting to make an impact in Australia with Geelong’s VFL side.

Lucey is from the Legion club in Killarney and is club mate of Kerry senior footballers James O’Donoghue, Brian Kelly and Jonathan Lyne.

On Saturday, he was instrumental to Geelong’s 102-93 win over North Ballarat in the VFL, the Australian Rules second tier competition.

Lucey was playing in the ‘lone ruckman’ role against North Ballarat and scored a goal while also registering nine possessions and 32 hitouts (a hit of the ball that gives his side an advantage).

It was a breakthrough game for Lucey, and Geelong coach Paul Hood was very pleased with his showing, saying he lead from the front in the lone ruckman position.

“Padraig really has wanted that responsibility for a while. He really embraced it today and took it on and tried his best to lead the team.”

“He was involved at the stoppages all day, he had a really clear role to play to negate his opponent as well as create for the team and I thought he battled physically and worked really well.”

Lucey was brought to Australia in 2013 after impressing at Tadhg Kennelly’s AFL International combine camp in Dublin and also appeared on the Australian reality TV series ‘The Recruit’. The show focused on emerging players from the AFL, but Lucey was cut from the show.

‘I’ll put my hand up and say we estimated wrong – but everything was sorted out’

‘The nurses were genuflecting as they brought him his medicine!’ – Brolly

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