Oisin Mullin set for Australian rules football switch in significant blow for Mayo
Oisin Mullin, 21, is primed for a move to Australian Football League side Geelong Cats, in a significant setback to James Horan and the Mayo footballers; Mullin was named Young Footballer of the Year in 2020, helping his county to successive All-Ireland finals
Thursday 4 November 2021 17:02, UK
The Mayo footballers have been dealt a significant blow with the news that Oisin Mullin is set for a switch to Australian rules.
It is being widely reported, first by The42.ie, that the Kilmaine club man will be joining AFL side Geelong Cats, with the club expected to announce the news in the coming days.
Mullin was due to travel down under in April 2020 for a two-week trial, but it was cancelled after the outbreak of Covid-19.
Since then, he has established himself as one of the premier defenders in Gaelic football. A winner of an All-Star award 12 months ago, he is nominated for the Young Footballer of the Year gong again this year, having won the crown in 2020.
Trusted by James Horan to mark some of the top forwards in the country over the past two years, Mullin missed the 2021 All-Ireland semi-final victory over Dublin through injury. He recovered in time for the delayed All-Ireland final, which the Connacht champions lost to Tyrone.
Should he depart for Australia, he will become the third GAA star to leave this year, after Ultan Kelm of Fermanagh and Fionn O'Hara of Westmeath.
However, given how Mullin is firmly established at the elite level of Gaelic football, the move would be the most significant departure from the GAA to AFL in recent years.
