DUBLIN U20 FOOTBALLER James Madden has been offered a professional contract by AFL club Brisbane Lions according to a report on the official AFL website.
Madden is currently sitting his Leaving Cert and is not expected to be part of Tom Gray’s side that face Wexford in the Leinster U20 football championship tomorrow night.
The Lions have reportedly already visited Madden and his family in Dublin and put a deal on the table, although it’s believed there are several Aussie Rules clubs still chasing his signature.
Madden rose to prominence last summer as a wing-forward on Dublin’s Leinster-winning minor crop, established himself on the Ballyboden St Enda’s senior side in the Dublin SFC in April and bagged a goal for the Dublin U20s in their win over Westmeath recently.
He also impressed scouts at an AFL Combine in UCD last December, setting faster 20m sprint (2.69sec) and agility times (7.76) than the respective AFL Draft Combine records set by Joel Wilkinson (2.75) and Stephen Hill (7.77).
Madden secured an invite to the AFL Academy in Florida later that month where he travelled with three other players - Peadar Ó Cofaigh-Byrne (Dublin), Anton Tohill (Derry) and Mark Keane (Cork) – along with former Collingwood and Down star Marty Clarke.
Madden’s lightning pace in particular has impressed scouts and he could be set to follow in the footsteps of legendary figure and fellow Ballyboden native Jim Stynes to the AFL.
In recent years Pearce Hanley (Mayo), Colm Begley (Laois), Cian Hanley (Mayo), Niall McKeever (Antrim) have all lined out for the Lions, while Donegal pair Eoghan Bán Gallagher and Jason McGee spent two weeks on trial at the club last August.
Any deal Madden signs with an AFL side would be as a category B rookie, although Brisbane appears to be his most likely destination at this stage.
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