ONE OF THE only major field sport competitions in the world to take place in the wake of the growing coronavirus crisis, the AFL season will begin behind closed doors tomorrow morning at 8am Irish time.
The number of Irish players in Aussie Rules currently stands at 17 with Kerry’s Deividas Uosis set to join the party next season.
The Irish players feature across nine clubs, five of them based in Melbourne, three in Sydney and one in Brisbane. We’ll run through each of these teams, the Irish players involved, how they fared last season and where they are predicted to finish in 2020.
1. Geelong
Irish players: Zach Tuohy (Laois), Stefan Okunbar and Mark O’Connor (both Kerry)
Last season: 1st (lost preliminary finals – last four)
2020 betting: 4th
Laois man Zach Tuohy is Ireland’s highest appearance holder currently in the AFL, while only Jim Stynes, Sean Wight and Tadhg Kennelly have played more games. He’s made 186 appearances over 10 seasons, featuring in 138 consecutive games before a knee injury forced him out last year.
The 30-year-old half-back was recently the only foreign player selected to play for the All-Stars in the State of Origin bushfire relief game.
Kerry pair Mark O’Connor and Stefan Okunbar make up the Irish contingent.
O’Connor was announced as an addition to the club’s seven-man leadership group last week and penned a new three-year deal last season. He has already appeared in 30 games for the club, with 23 of them arriving in a breakthrough 2019 campaign.
At 21, Okunbar is two years O’Connor’s junior. He spent last season lining out with the club’s developmental Victoria Football League (VFL) side but his 2020 campaign has been rocked with a ruptured Achilles that required surgery and will put him out for most of the season.
2. Essendon
Irish players: Conor McKenna (Tyrone), Ross McQuillan (Armagh) and Cian McBride (Meath)
Last season: 8th (lost elimination finals – last eight)
2020 betting: 9th
Conor McKenna recently returned home to Tyrone to combat a period of homesickness but he’s returned Down Under and is in the running to start against Fremantle on Saturday. At just 23, he’s already the third most experienced Irish player in the league with 73 appearances to his name.
2019 was his most consistent season and he wowed fans with his GAA-style dummy solos during the year.
Armagh prospect Ross McQuillan and Meath youngster Cian McBride both signed deals with Essendon after the 2019 GAA season.
Both are fine athletes. McQuillan made his Armagh debut in 2018, represented Northern Ireland in basketball and is already the quickest player on Essendon squad.
Former Royals U20s midfielder McBride stands at 6’4″ and he’s an agile mover for a man of his size.
3. Sydney Swans
Irish players: - Colin O’Riordan (Tipperary) and Barry O’Connor (Wexford)
Last season: 15th
2020 betting: 17th
Colin O’Riordan has been forced to bide his time at Kennelly’s former club to make an impact. Drafted in 2015, there were injuries along the way and his debut didn’t arrive until 2018. O’Riordan was rewarded with a fresh two-year contract after playing 12 games last season.
Wexford native Barry O’Connor signed with the Swans last summer on a two-year Category B rookie deal.
4. Hawthorn
Irish players: Conor Nash (Meath) and Conor Glass (Derry)
Last season: 9th
2020 betting: 7th
Conor Nash established himself in the Hawthorn side last season, featuring in 14 of his 19 senior games in 2019. The 6’6″ key forward is one of the few Irish players not employed in defence.
Conor Glass arrived at the same time as Nash and the pair helped one another settle into living so far away from home. Glass, who made his debut in 2017, enjoyed a consistent run in the team near the end of last season and scored his first AFL goal in June.
5. Collingwood
Irish players: Anton Tohill (Derry) and Mark Keane (Cork)
Last season: 4th (lost preliminary finals – last four)
2020 betting: 2nd
Anton Tohill, son of Derry legend Anthony, signed a two-year deal after his arrival in late 2018. His height and speed make him well-suited to the game, though he has yet to make his mark at senior level.
Cork youngster Mark Keane arrived at the same time as Tohill. He shone at the European AFL Draft Combine and is likely to wind up as a as a tall defender. His ability in the air and keen game sense give the 20-year-old a decent chance of debuting in 2020.
6. Gold Coast Suns
Irish players: Pearce Hanley (Mayo) and Luke Towey (Sligo)
Last season: 18th
2020 betting: 18th
Pearce Hanley marked his 150th AFL appearance during last season with Gold Coast, though it was a campaign badly hampered by shoulder and hamstring injuries. A 12-year veteran, Hanley spent the first nine years of his career with Brisbane Lions before moving to his current club in 2017.
He is currently co-vice-captain of the Suns who finished bottom of the league last year and are tipped to do the same in 2020.
Sligo native Luke Towey made the switch last October and will focus on learning the game as a half-back with the club’s developmental team in the coming 12 months.
7. Brisbane Lions
Irish player: James Madden (Dublin)
Last season: 2nd (lost qualifying finals – last eight)
2020 betting: 6th
Ballyboden St Enda’s clubman James Madden put pen to paper on a new two-year deal last May. Prior to joining Brisbane he broke the AFL Draft Combine’s sprint and agility test records.
The former Dublin U20 spent last season in action with Brisbane’s North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) developmental side and will be hoping to make his breakthrough this season.
8. Greater Western Sydney Giants
Irish player: Callum Brown (Greater Western Sydney Giants)
Last season: 6th (lost Grand final – last two)
2020 betting: 4th
Derry’s Callum Brown impressed in NEAFL action last year, scoring five goals. Brown’s pace and ability under the high ball was what attracted scouts and he is settling into a new role as a running half-back.
It’s a very difficult side to break into given the Giants reached the Grand final in 2019, but Brown is in the perfect environment to aid his progression as an Aussie Rules player.
9. St Kilda Saints
Irish player: Darragh Joyce (Kilkenny)
Last season: 14th
2020 betting: 13th
A former Kilkenny underage hurler, Darragh Joyce has featured in five AFL games to date – three of them in 2019. He spent time learning the game at St Kilda’s VFL team Sandringham and last summer he agreed a fresh two-year deal. Joyce is in with a chance of featuring over the coming weeks.
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