Mayo's Oisin Mullin is set to make his AFL debut for the Geelong Cats this weekend.
Mullin has been named at half-back in the Geelong side to play GWS Giants on Saturday. Two other Irish players, Kerryman Mark O'Connor and Laois' Zach Tuohy - both premiership winners with the club last season - have also been named in the team, while Derry's Callum Brown has been named in the GWS side.
"They brought me into the match committee meeting room," Mullin explained in a video showing his call home to Mayo tell his family that he would be making his debut.
"All the coaches were there. Mark O'Connor told me."
Time difference is no match for this news 📞🇮🇪 #WeAreGeelong pic.twitter.com/XhAX8GKtH8
— Geelong Cats (@GeelongCats) May 25, 2023
Remarkably, it's just six months since it was announced that the two-time Young Footballer of the Year would be departing the Mayo panel to move Down Under. Mullin impressed at VFL level leading to his inclusion this weekend.
Speaking on Australia radio show SEN Breakfast earlier this month, O'Connor speculated that Mullin could make his Geelong debut this year.
11 June 2022; Oisín Mullin of Mayo goes past Paul Cribbin of Kildare on his way to score a goal during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 2 match between Mayo and Kildare at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
"Oisin Mullin, he’s a serious athlete," he said.
"He’s very, very explosive, very mature, a very nice lad. He was probably the best young footballer in Ireland when we picked him up, he won the Young Player of the Year two years running which is a very impressive feat.
"I’m sure it won’t be too long before everyone gets to see him. He could debut this year. He’s probably just under six foot but he’s just super explosive.
"He played at full-back back home and he would have picked up some of the gun forwards.
"But his speed is probably the highlight. He’d put it up to anyone down here in terms of speed. So that’s very exciting and hopefully he can add the attack into his game and run off half-back."
10 games into the AFL season, Geelong are seventh in the ladder.
See Also: Peter Canavan Still Has Doubts About Mayo's All-Ireland Credentials Despite Kerry Win
