Geelong have dropped a selection bombshell for their clash with GWS, naming Irishman Oisin Mullin for his AFL debut.
The 23-year old Mullin, who joined the Cats as a Category B rookie ahead of the 2022 season, has played just three VFL matches since switching from Gaelic football, but the reigning premiers have rung the changes after a two-match losing streak that has seen them lose touch with the top four, naming the County Mayo product alongside established pair Sam De Koning and Ollie Henry.
But speaking to Fox Footy’s AFL 360 Plus, fellow Irish Cat Zach Tuohy has said his countryman is more than ready for the highest level.
“He’s a well-established, top, top player back in Ireland. This is not just a young prospect that was brought out. This is a guy who was well regarded as one of the best footballers in Ireland when he left,” Tuohy said.
Tuohy, who is within reach of Jim Stynes’ AFL record for most games by an Irishman, said in an interview with AFL Media back in March that Mullin’s outstanding start to his Gaelic football career before choosing Aussie Rules would be like ‘pulling Nick Daicos out of the AFL’.
“I’m not sure people realise how big a deal Oisin is in Ireland,” Tuohy said at the time.
“He is just about the best young footballer in Ireland. If not the best, certainly one of the best.”
Mullin won the prestigious 2020 GAA Young Footballer of the Year before crossing codes, joining fellow Irish players Zach Tuohy and Mark O’Connor in the Cats’ team for his first AFL game.
“He’s just super explosive,” O’Connor told SEN radio.
“He played at fullback 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.
“Hopefully he can add the attack into his game and run off half-back.”
Oisín Mullin, a star Gaelic footballer in Ireland, has been named to make his AFL debut for Geelong. (Photo By Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Elsewhere, Tom De Koning has been recalled by the Blues for his first senior appearance since round five amid intense speculation surrounding the unsigned ruckman’s future.
He will join forces with Marc Pittonet against Sydney at the SCG on Friday night, with Tom Hickey making a timely return to bolster the injury-hit Swans’ ruck division in the absence of Peter Ladhams (ankle).
Jack Silvagni, Lewis Young and Ed Curnow have all been dropped from Carlton’s starting 22 after last week’s loss to Collingwood but are possible substitutes after being named as emergencies.
GWS have lost key trio Josh Kelly, Nick Haynes and Harry Himmelberg to injuries for their daunting trip to face Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday.
Callum Brown, Lachie Keeffe and Daniel Lloyd return to play in captain Toby Greene’s 200th game.
Essendon trio Jayden Laverde, Matt Guelfi and Dylan Shiel have overcome injuries and will return in Saturday night’s clash with West Coast, whose line-up will feature star utility Elliot Yeo for just the third time this season.
Key defender Tom Barrass and former captain Shannon Hurn are also back for the injury-ravaged Eagles after missing last week’s 116-point thrashing from Hawthorn.
Melbourne have recalled Tom Sparrow and James Harmes as replacements for Clayton Oliver (hamstring) and Lachie Hunter (suspended) for Saturday’s date with Fremantle at the MCG.
The Dockers have lost veteran forward Michael Walters to a calf injury and took possible debutant Karl Worner in their travelling party.
St Kilda have named Tim Membrey as an emergency for Saturday’s game against Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium but the experienced forward must pass a final test if he is to get the green light to return from concussion.
Membrey could replace fellow forward Mitch Owens (concussion), while the Hawks are unchanged.
Gold Coast have dropped veteran midfielder Brandon Ellis for Saturday night’s clash with the Western Bulldogs, recalling Joel Jeffrey and Ben Long.
The Bulldogs will be without dashing defender Jason Johannisen (hamstring), with Lachlan McNeil promoted from substitute into the starting 22.
North Melbourne have left troubled utility Tarryn Thomas in the VFL for at least another week, having flagged his possible AFL comeback in recent days.
Cam Zurhaar will return from a cheekbone injury for the Kangaroos against Collingwood on Sunday.
Port Adelaide will again be without key forwards Todd Marshall and Charlie Dixon, as well as suspended skipper Tom Jonas, for Sunday’s clash with Richmond.
(with AAP)
Ken Hinkley won’t rush fresh contract talks with Port Adelaide, dismissing any distraction at being linked to the vacant Richmond coaching job.
The Power coach, who falls off-contract at season’s end, and club hierarchy have delayed any negotiations until August.
And Hinkley says that pre-season agreement won’t change despite Damien Hardwick quitting as Tigers coach.
“It’s really, really clear and really simple … our position as a footy club has been really, really strong and it’s not going to change, nothing will change,” Hinkley told reporters on Friday.
“I have got a football club and we have got a football team that we’re really focused on. And our team will stay focused on that and we won’t let any distractions get in our way.
“We have been really clear right from the start, from the board right through to myself, that any individual at our footy club will stay focused on the job at hand.
“That is my sole responsibility and I won’t buy in to any other conversations around what may or may not happen.
“It would be foolish because any comment I put out there now can be portrayed slightly differently than what it is.
“I have got a sole focus on the performance of this team … the dangers with getting distracted in that are not something I’m going to entertain.
“The only distraction could be if we didn’t make this clear and we have made it really clear.”
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Hinkley, in his 11th season at the helm, has steered Port to third spot on ladder and will enter Sunday’s MCG clash against Richmond on a seven game winning streak.
He admitted shock at Hardwick’s sudden resignation and joined fellow coaches including Fremantle’s Justin Longmuir in appealing to the AFL to increase the monetary cap on club football departments.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the AFL reduced the cap from $9.2 million to $6.95m, a figure to rise to $7.2m next year.
Hinkley said the cutbacks had heaped more pressure on coaches and staffers.
“It’s 100 per cent real and that’s why the coaching industry has been really strong on supporting the increases in soft cap,” he said.
“It’s clear to us that it’s the biggest part of the industry that has been cut the most and it has not got anywhere near back to where it should be.
“And when you have the stresses that all staff – not just coaches, all staff – in the industry have to put up with and deal with, that becomes real.
“The AFL have have to sit up and take some notice. There’s just too many things happening now that would suggest this is OK.”
(AAP)
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