Darragh Joyce and Ray Connellan clearly impressed during the AFL Europe Talent Combine trials last year.
Joyce, a Kilkenny hurler, and Connellan, a Westmeath footballer, have been confirmed as the latest acquisitions for AFL’s St Kilda, according to a report in Australian outlet The Age.
The pair have signed two-year contracts with the Melbourne club and could make the move Down Under as soon as next month.
Joyce, whose older brother is Kieran Joyce, was captain of the Kilkenny minor side that claimed the 2014 All-Ireland title against Limerick.
Connellan’s signing is somewhat more surprising given the fact that he recently suffered an horrific leg break when lining out for Westmeath against Dublin in the Leinster SFC final.
“We asked them to go home and spend a week just having a real think about what they were committing to,” Saints recruiter Tony Elshaug said of his new Irish charges.
“We wanted them to talk to their families about what they would be giving up and leaving behind in terms of home and their studies and the challenges ahead. They both came back and accepted. To be honest I think they would have been happy to stay in Australia from the time they came out here.”
The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10
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