Darragh Joyce will roar again with Lions but Cats still an option

The new AFL season starts this weekend with Kilkenny's Darragh Joyce signed up for another season with Brisbane Lions

Thu, 06 Mar, 2025 - 07:33

Paul Keane

Kilkenny great Kieran Joyce says younger brother Darragh, an AFL winner with Brisbane Lions in 2024, has been assured that he'll be considered for Cats duty if he returns to Ireland.

But Kieran, a four-time All-Ireland SHC winner with Kilkenny, said the reality is that if Darragh, 28 in April, signs another AFL contract after this season then his hurling hopes will effectively be over.

Darragh captained the Kilkenny minors to All-Ireland success in 2014, the same year that big brother Kieran was Man of the Match in the senior final replay win over Tipperary.

Darragh was subsequently snapped up by AFL side St Kilda before joining Brisbane who won last year's AFL Premiership, with Joyce a late call up to the panel as an emergency sub.

The new AFL season starts this weekend though Brisbane won't be in action until next week due to a first round postponement.

"He has another year on his contract," said Kieran, speaking at a promotion organised by third level championship sponsors Electric Ireland. "He met Derek (Lyng, Kilkenny manager) there last Christmas and Derek said, 'if it doesn't work out in Brisbane, we'd love to have a look at you'.

"It's an open door to a certain extent and Darragh knows that himself but look, he's getting paid over there, he's getting paid to play. Obviously it's mid-30s at the moment there, I was talking to him and the weather is good, the lifestyle is good so it's hard to bring him back.

"But then Darragh said it himself, he always had a grá to play for Kilkenny. He always wanted to tick that box so maybe, who knows, in the next year or two he might get a chance to come back and try out for a spot."

Joyce played six seasons with St Kilda before being recruited by the Lions during the AFL's pre-season supplementary signing period in 2023.

He earned a contract extension at the Gabba after last season's Grand Final win when he was brought in as a late replacement for their clash with Sydney.

He didn't feature and it's unclear if he received a winner's medal.

"I don't think the emergency subs get a medal," said Kieran. "I don't actually bring it up with him, it's probably not a thing he wants to talk about too often. From his point of view, he got five or six senior games last year. He'd love to start again this year. But will they go back-to-back? It's very, very hard in the AFL in terms of their long season. But from his point of view, he wants to get as many games as he can at that level."

Earlier in 2024, when Brisbane played Sydney in their regular league campaign, defender Joyce suffered a fractured jaw. The clubs will meet again on Saturday week in Sydney.