Blow for Ballincollig and Cork as Liam O'Connell agrees AFL move to St Kilda

Cork U20 O’Connell has attracted interest from Carlton and Melbourne in recent weeks and months, but it’s with St Kilda he has signed the dotted line

DRIVE: Liam O'Connell in action with the Cork U20's in Tralee. He wore the county jersey at the grade in 2022 and 2023 Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Ballincollig and Cork U20 footballer Liam O’Connell has signed an AFL contract with St Kilda and will make the move over to Australia in the next fortnight.

News of O’Connell’s AFL switch was revealed by Ballincollig manager Podsie O’Mahony following their Cork Premier SFC win over Carrigaline on Sunday afternoon.

O’Mahony said O’Connell had attracted interest from Carlton and Melbourne in recent weeks and months, but it’s with St Kilda he has signed the dotted line.

O’Connell, who lines out in the half-forward line for his club and was among their more impressive performers in the Round 2 win over Carrigaline, was midfield on the Cork U20 team that lost to Kerry in this year’s Munster U20 final. He also saw game-time during the county’s 2022 Munster U20 final defeat to the Kingdom.

Liam O'Connell (in green). Heading to Oz 

Previous to that, he was a starter on the 2020 Cork minor team.

Over-age for U20 in 2023, it is likely that the rangy Ballincollig footballer would have been on the radar of Cork senior boss John Cleary.

Ballincollig boss and former Cork half-forward O’Mahony wished O’Connell well on his AFL adventure, as did his Ballincollig teammates. Centre-back Liam Jennings remarked on social media that St Kilda “have got a gem”.