Dubs starlet Kilkenny targeted by AFL club

Australian Rules club Carlton Blues are hoping to lure young Dublin starlet Ciaran Kilkenny Down Under with the offer of a two-year rookie contract.

Kilkenny, who was in eye-catching form for the Dubs' minor hurlers and footballers this year, was involved in a training camp with Carlton's recruitment officer Gerard Sholly three weeks ago.

Reports suggest that Kilkenny was one of the players to most impress Sholly at the University of Limerick get-together and the Castleknock youngster is set to be offered a deal with the club.

However, it is highly unlikely that he will sign on the dotted line - if he decides to take up the offer - until after he completes his Leaving Cert exams next June.

He top-scored with 0-41 as the Dublin minor footballers reached this year's All-Ireland final, and was the second leading marksman for the hurlers with 3-13. He is recognised as a prodigious talent and is expected to remain a dual players for Dublin at Under-21 level in 2012.

The recent Carlton camp also saw two more Dublin minors, Jack McCaffrey and Emmet O Conghaile, and Louth attacker Ciaran Byrne excel in a number of trials. Sholly also put Cork's Barry O'Driscoll and Kildare pair Padraig Fogarty and Sean Hurley to the test.

Byrne has reportedly been offered a rookie deal by the Blues, who are based in Melbourne and currently have Laois' Zach Tuohy on their senior roster.

But the St Mochta's starlet, who still has another year with Louth at the minor grade, will have to wait if he wants to pursue a career in Australia. Under the present agreement with the GAA, AFL clubs are not permitted to sign GAA players until their minor commitments have been completed.