Mike Finnerty
MAYO footballer Oisin Mullin has signed with AFL Premiership winners Geelong.
The news was confirmed by the Australian Rules club tonight (Thursday) via their social media channels.
The 22 year-old from Kilmaine is understood to have joined the club on a category B rookie contract.
Mullin, who was named ‘Young Footballer of the Year’ in both 2020 and 2021, is understood to be travelling to Australia to begin pre-season training next week.
The news will come as a blow to Mayo manager Kevin McStay’s plans to try and win the county’s first All-Ireland senior title for 72 years next season.
Mullin, who is a student at NUI Galway, looked set to sign with Geelong 12 months ago.
However, the move Down Under failed to materialise at that time and he remained in Ireland.
But tonight’s news means that he will now follow in the footsteps of the likes of former Mayo footballers, the Hanley brothers, Pearce and Cian, in trying his hand at Australian Rules.
The Ballaghaderreen duo both lined out with the Brisbane Lions, with Pearce playing 169 games over 13 seasons for both Brisbane and the Gold Coast Suns before his retirement in 2020 due to injury.
Cian Hanley returned to Ireland in late 2017 after three injury-interrupted seasons with the Brisbane Lions.
Read more on this story in Tuesday’s edition of The Mayo News.
