Kilkenny man’s future up in the air after he departs AFL

The future of Kilkenny man Darragh Joyce is up in the air after he left AFL side Brisbane Lions.

The Rower–Inistioge man left Ireland in 2017 to sign a Rookie deal with St Kilda after trialling in 2015 and 2016. He would play in the VFL for Sandringham before making his AFL debut in 2018.

He would go on to feature 13 times for St Kilda between 2018 and 2022 before making the move up north to Brisbane Lions. He would go on to feature 14 times over four seasons with the Lions.

He has now departed the side along with Luke Beecken, with the Brisbane Lions announcing that youngsters Luke Lloyd and Koby Evans will be re-selected at the rookie draft next month.

‘Darragh and Luke have both made a valuable contribution to the Brisbane Lions and have been highly regarded teammates during their time at the club,’ Brisbane Lions boss Danny Daly said in a statement.

‘Darragh’s experience, resilience, and willingness to put the team first have been greatly appreciated, while Luke has shown strong development and application throughout his time in our program.

‘We thank them both for their tireless effort and commitment to the Club and wish Darragh, Luke and their families all the best for the future.’

Darragh Joyce is notably the brother of four-time All-Ireland-winning Kilkenny player Keiron Joyce, who lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup back in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015 before retiring from intercounty play in 2017.

It is unclear as of now whether Darragh will return to Ireland or will look for a new AFL side. Conor McKenna recently signed a one-year extension with Brisbane, while Collingwood are expected to announce the signing of Donegal’s Finnbarr Roarty in the coming days.