Donegal GAA is in a tailspin with the news that the county’s hottest young player could be about to head to Australia to play football.
Patrick McBrearty, the 18 year old star nurtured by manager Jim McGuinness, is now a target for recruiters looking to add his name to a list of players heading Down Under.
The Kilcar man attended Kerry star Tadhg Kennelly’s football camp at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, Dublin yesterday (see picture).
McBrearty was joined by a host of other young stars from Dublin, Cork, Armagh and Kildare as potential targets for the AFL.
Kennelly, the only man to win both an All-Ireland medal (with Kerry in 2009) and AFL Premiership medallion (with the Sydney Swans in 2005), was appointed to an ambassadorial role by the AFL last December.
It is understood the Kerryman is a big fan of McBrearty considering he has gained such valuable experience and played on the big stage at such a young age.
The GAA were not made aware of yesterday’s gathering in Tallaght.
McBrearty, who is due to sit his Leaving Certificate, is the latest Donegal star to be linked with a move to Australia to be paid to play football with the oval ball.
Donegal captain Michael Murphy has long been associated with a move Down Under but the DCU student has said he has no plans to move.
A senior Donegal GAA source said McBrearty could well grab the chance to get a taste of life in Oz.
“He is really rated by Kennelly and from what I understand he impressed in Tallaght.
“He’s a level-headed young fella and he could go away for a coupe of years and come back and he’d still only be in his early 20s with his football career here in front of him.
“There’s a lot of pressure but you have lads like Tommy Walsh from Kerry who went down there and they are really enjoying their football and the lifestyle,” he said.
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