KERRY’S CILLIAN BURKE has joined AFL side Geelong Cats as a Category B rookie ahead of the 2025 season.
The talented 21-year-old, who made his breakthrough with the Kerry seniors this year, will travel to Australia in late November to link up with the Cats before the beginning of pre-season.
Burke will become the seventh Irish-born player on Geelong’s books, joining Oisin Mullin and Mark O’Connor on the AFL list, while Kate Kenny, Aishling Moloney, Rachel Kearns and Anna-Rose Kennedy are all part of the AFLW side.
Welcome, Cillian! 🍀🙌 Exciting Irish prospect Cillian Burke has joined Geelong as a Cat B Rookie#WeAreGeelong | @PepperstoneFX
— Geelong Cats (@GeelongCats) October 31, 2024
“Cillian is a very athletic and a talented prospect, we are thrilled he has decided to join Geelong and can’t wait to welcome him to Australia next month,” Geelong General Manager – Football Andrew Mackie said.
“A very established GGA player, we understand Cillian has made a big life decision to move to Australia. We will support him and have a plan in place to make a smooth transition to the Cats and our football program.
Fair play and well deserved.
Obviously Munster have a long way to go. And some serious issues in terms of squad build, retirements and finances, but…
Hard not to see the progress under Rowntree.
In terms of style of play, player promotion and the overall feeling of progress it’s miles ahead of JVG era
@John Fitz: 100 percent agree
Sweet Jesus, read the article. Voted for by the head coaches. His peers picked him, not some randomer on the street.
@Andy O’Shea: why read when you can just shoot from the hip
Jake White finished 2nd in league, beat the best team on paper in the semi, if Bulls win on Sat (probable) then surely he is URC coach of the season
@Andrew Slazenger: Munster won it last year. I’d say the award for rowntree is in recognition of the good work he’s done for Munster in his tenure. Getting to the semi final and wins away in South Africa continued his success from the previous. Demonstrated that it was not a “flash in the pan”.
Backing up winning an arguably undeserved or shock trophy by finishing top of the log was a great effort, especially in the light of the injuries. I don’t begrudge GR the award although he’d probably be the first to say it feels a bit hollow at the moment.
Given the biggest upset in URC history happened 5 days ago , think a certain coach in blue should have been in for a shout. Ah well. Well just take a third final in a row in the republic to keep the finances rolling in.
@Stuart: Agreed. Both finalists head coaches must’ve run him close.
@Stuart: how is 2nd beating 3rd the biggest upset in history?
Surely that’s a bit far fetched ?
@Stuart: you are correct, Franco smith would be a good shout.
@Stuart: No surprise their SA fans are the worse fans in the world all i see is them crying moaning even when they win
@damien reidy: didnt the bulls beat lenister plenty times too not biggest shock at all
@Square: ok flip the script, say it was now a Munster v Leinster final… wouldn’t you feel aggrieved if the Blues or Glasgow coach was voted coach of the season? I’m guessing this vote was done before the semi finals…
@Rob O’Connor: finishing top of the table probably reflects better as a more consistent coach than winning a few knock out games does.
@Rob O’Connor: it’s for the whole season… 13 game unbeaten run wining both games in South Africa as well
I think it’s pretty good call
@Square: I agree… but high Veldt logic can be a bit nuts at the best of times
Ask Eben Rassie and DDA
@damien reidy: i think my reply was for stuart
@Square: sorry boss
@Stuart: what are you smoking! Glasgow Munster is always close, yes it was an upset but hardly a big one
@Ciaran Kennedy: think he was talking about the bulls beating Leinster
@damien reidy: yes even both semi finals were allways going to be close both bulls and the scotish side are bogey sides for the irish
@Stuart: based on one game?
@Rob O’Connor: getting to the late stages of the comp, including excellent wins in SA engineered through shrewd tactical selections, while also dealing with the injury crises and personnel changes he’s had to deal is a sign of a good coach.
Leo has been robbed here, you need to be an unique head coach to go trophyless with a group of players who won back to back 6n, a test series in New Zealand and 17 international test matches on the trot including beating every tier 1 side
@Eoin H: as a leinster supporter i wholeheartedly agree!
Based on selection last week alone, I would have disqualified him. Possibly, the worst team selection blunder I have seen. He is a decent guy and has Munster in a better place than before. But his decision to leave Snyman and Coombes out in a home SF defies all logic to me. Definitely one of the finalist’s manger should be getting this award which should be subsequent to the final. Meaningless anyway.
@seamus Beirne: Should have left Snyman out altogether, he was hopeless when he came on.
@Ray Ridge: Thought i was watching the basketball with those terrible no-look passes from snyman
@J M: Greatest 2nd row to ever play the game according to some.
@seamus Beirne: agree on Snyman when the available alternative was not Edogbo or Ahern, who are outstanding athletes in their own right, but to be fair, springing Coombes from the bench to deliver huge impact at 50 or 60 minutes was a master stroke over the previous few games, so I get why he stuck with that. Perhaps he could have sprung him earlier, but he was game-changing from the bench in those earlier games.
What a handsome chap he is too !
@Tony Kelly: Even more handsome than Leo!!
Blew a handy URC title last weekend. Nothing surprises me in rugby anymore. Mediocrity being celebrated everywhere you look.
@Aidan Farrell: Jesus 5 years trophyless. I thought ye were the best team on the planet? U must be in a lot of pain. :-D
@John Paul Mullins: your maths needs work, ye harp on about your singular league trophy in at least a decade so much you must’ve forgotten the last time Leinster won one.
In all serious you can troll without blatant lies just go off and think about it a little because what you’re saying makes you seem pretty pathetic. If you need me to spell it out for you just respond with more lies
@Robert O’Connor: look at u. U couldn’t help yourself. U can’t take it :-D hahaha. 5 years and counting buddy! Looool
@Aidan Farrell: just Irish rugby. We are world beaters at it. Expecting a look back doc on RTE2 any day now on that time we beat an All Blacks 15 on holiday in Chicago.
@John Paul Mullins: 15 years for Munster
@John Sunderland: incorrect. We won it last year buddy. Lol :-D
@John Paul Mullins: 15 years and counting buddy lol
@John Sunderland: u obviously can’t read buddy. Try again. Lol
@John Paul Mullins: look at u couldn’t help urself :) hahahaha 15 years and counting buddy loool
Well desreved
Rest of the awards are here:https://www.unitedrugby.com/awards/2023-24?dm_t=0,0,0,0,0
What? They won Nahin sure?
I find it hard to understand why it was deemed a major upset that the second placed Bulls beat third placed Leinster at home at altitude. The only URC team that has figured out how to win in SA is Munster, and for that alone Roundtree should be coach of the year.