One of the rising stars of Gaelic football has turned his back on Geelong after signing an AFL contract late last year.
Mayo GAA confirmed on Monday Oisin Mullin had decided against moving to Australia and would stay in Ireland, despite having signed with Geelong as a category B rookie in November.
“Going to Australia to play professionally was a really interesting opportunity and it was something I wanted to research and consider in detail,” Mullin said.
“It was a big decision for me as playing for Mayo with my friends is a huge honour and something I love doing, so I wanted to take the time to consider all aspects of it.
“I am grateful to everyone who helped me during the process. I especially want to send my appreciation to everyone at Geelong Football Club. I want to thank them for their understanding and wish them every success for the future.”
There had been concerns Mullin, who is a two-time GAA young footballer of the year, would back out of his deal with Geelong, but the Cats still held hope on Monday morning he would make the move to Australia.
Geelong list manager Andrew Mackie saud the club understood the difficulty Mullin faced in making his decision and wished him well.
“Moving to a new country to take up a new game is a significant decision, and we respect the fact that Oisin has decided to remain at home,” Mackie said.
“We have enjoyed getting to know Oisin through this process and wish him well with Mayo as they seek an All-Ireland title. We hope he can achieve his goals both on and off the field.”
