Quinn the latest Irish AFL player to be axed

THE number of Irish players listed by AFL clubs next year was reduced to eight yesterday as Essendon showed Michael Quinn the door.

Quinn has been let go in the same week that Setanta Ó hAilpín, Jamie O’Reilly and Chris McKaigue have been axed by their respective clubs. The Killoe talent spent three years with the Bombers but his fortunes declined considerably in the most recent campaign, when he failed to break into the Melbourne club’s senior panel even once under new coach James Hird.

Quinn was Essendon’s first international recruit ever at the end of 2008 and he made a sensational start to his career in round 2 of the 2009 season, just a matter of weeks after playing in his first Aussie Rules game.