Mark Keane open to AFL return, reveals why he chose Cork hurling over football

Cork's Mark Keane admits he would love a return to the AFL

Mark Keane has told the official AFL website that he would “love to come back” to Collingwood and play elite Aussie rules football once more.

In a wide-ranging interview, Keane gives an insight into the draw of playing club and county GAA but also the conflict he still feels as he has grown to love Aussie rules and to appreciate what the management and coaching staff at Collingwood have done for him.

He also reveals that the lure of having represented Cork in both codes was why he went with hurling and admits that having not played for so long, he has a lot of work to do to reach his peak as a hurler.

Keane, who was sent off on his senior hurling championship debut in Cork’s defeat to Clare last weekend, left the Pies four months ago, after a return home at Christmas following a difficult period in Australia due to the severe Covid-19 restrictions in Melbourne in particular.

Collingwood had allowed Keane return as often as possible through the pandemic and the Mitchelstown man famously scored a late winning goal for Cork footballers to beat Kerry in the 2020 Munster Championship.

He would play a major role as Ballygiblin got to the All-Ireland junior club hurling final, however, and opted to throw his lot in with the Rebel hurlers once he made the decision to stay in Ireland last January.

The 22-year-old had played five senior games with Collingwood since his debut against Fremantle in 2020 and was rated highly for the progress he had made as a key defender, with the expectation that he would establish himself as a regular first-teamer in 2022.

Keane has maintained in contact with many at the club since his departure and has admitted that he would like to have another crack at the code some time.

"I'd probably love to come back," Keane said in the interview. "I still love AFL. I've probably watched every single game so far this year. I've been watching the boys and all the teams. I still kick around here at home.

"It is anyone's dream to go over and play AFL. I definitely wouldn’t rule it out to go back and play."

There was huge disappointment in Collingwood when Keane opted not to return and Keane now points to his Christmas visit home as the moment that crystallised in his mind the desire to be back in Cork – for the time being, at least.

"I came back to Melbourne in November for pre-season and I had missed the first couple of days. Then I tested positive for Covid and then I had to do 14 days (in quarantine) and then I came out and had about eight or nine days before we were finished up for Christmas.

"Then I decided I'd head back home for Christmas. I probably shouldn't have headed back home for Christmas. Covid was rampant again, so I had to enter another isolation period. My club team was in a hurling final so I ended up playing that and missed the first couple of days of pre-season in January.

"Then I made the decision that my heart wasn’t in it at the time. When I was ready to go back, my heart really wasn’t in it. It was unfair on the coaches, the club and the players as well. I decided to stay at home, where my heart was at the time."

He admits to still feeling torn as he watches Collingwood play with a weakened defence under new coach Craig McRae, with whom he has a strong relationship.

"It's frustrating because I love 'Fly'. When I was in isolation in Australia he came and visited me and gave me a package and stuff like that. Then when I came out of isolation I felt like I was playing well in training and was getting my fitness up and felt like I was in for a big year.

"It was a pity that love for hurling and football back home is probably something that Australians just don’t get. If you even come over for a weekend in Ireland, you would understand how much it means to your home town. We don’t grow up transferring clubs and moving clubs and getting drafted into a team. The team you play for is where you grow up; you can't move; you have to stay there.

"It is frustrating knowing that I could have put my best foot forward if I stayed, could have put a really good pre-season in if I stayed there for Christmas and been available for round one selection. It just didn’t go that way unfortunately."

There was an expectation in Ireland that Keane would return to play Gaelic Football for Cork after helping them reach the 2020 Munster Final, but Keane wanted to test himself at hurling instead.

"Not many go and play inter-county in both at senior level but growing up I always wanted to do both. When I came back this year, I thought why not give hurling a go while I can. I've opted to play hurling this season.

"I'm trying to learn the game again because I've missed nearly four years. Trying to come back into a setup that is pretty much professional, you just don’t get paid, and trying to fit back in you have to be patient because I haven’t played the game for three or four years. That will come."