Paddy Brophy set for Eagles Aussie Rules debut

Paddy Brophy will play his first senior game for West Coast Eagles in a pre-season fixture against the Indigenous All Stars this morning.

The former Kildare forward is one of six players on the 26-man squad that has yet to play at AFL level although with ex-baseballer, Corey Adamson, not selected, he is the only one with so few actual games of Aussie Rules football under his belt.

Although Brophy was an attacker, like most Gaelic football players that try their hand Down Under, he is being tried in a half-back role, where his good hands, excellent kicking and speed on the counter-attack could prove very useful.

The Celbridge man was captain of the Kildare minors in 2012 before being given his debut with the Lilywhite seniors in 2013 by Kieran McGeeney. He was a regular throughout that season and then the next, when Jason Ryan took over from McGeeney, until signing a two-year international rookie contract with the Eagles.

Meanwhile speculation is growing in Australia that Setanta Ó hAilpín could make a shock return to the AFL as a direct result of the doping scandal that has rocked Essendon.

Essendon have been embroiled in a doping scandal for more than a year, with suspensions expected shortly. That could see a raft host of former AFL players being lined out up on short-term contracts.