Longford footballer Matt Duffy is set to join Carlton Australian Rules football club, Shannonside Sport can reveal.
The 19-year-old Dromard and Longford underage star, caught the attention of Aussie rules scouts in 2021 and is believed to have signed a two-year contract with Carlton FC.
Widely regarded as one of the county’s brightest future stars, Duffy played a key role in Dromard’s championship comeback against Granard last weekend.
Duffy is set to join the Melbourne outfit later in shortly. However, Dromard are hopeful that Duffy will be available for the remainder of the 2023 championship campaign.
The 2024 AFL season is set to begin on March eighth, with pre-season training beginning at the start of November.
While, Duffy has been offered a professional “rookie A international” contract, pending a medical in the coming weeks.
Carlton football club are one of the most prestigious clubs in Australian Rules football. Carlton have won the Premiership on 16 occasions.
Duffy is set to follow in the footsteps of Longford’s Mickey Quinn singed a rookie contract with Essendon in 2008.
A number of Irish players have made major impacts in AFL. Most notably Dubliner Jim Stynes who played for Melbourne from 1984 to 1998.
Other players who have made big impacts in Oz are Kerry’s Thadhg Kennelly, Cork’s Setanta Ó hAilpín and Colm Begley of Laois.