Donegal's Finnbarr Roarty signs AFL contract with Collingwood 

It’s a serious blow for Donegal as one of their main players becomes the latest rising Gaelic football star to depart for Down Under.

AFL-BOUND: Finnbarr Roarty of Donegal in action against Micheál Burns of Kerry. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Finnbarr Roarty has signed a two-year rookie contract with Collingwood in the AFL.

The 20-year-old will jet off to Australia at the end of the month to hook up with the Magpies, who finished in ninth place in last season’s Premiership.

Before all of that, the 2025 Young Footballer of the Year will first look to push his club Naomh Conaill over the line in Sunday’s Donegal SFC final against St Eunan’s in Ballybofey.

Roarty’s rise has been a phenomenal one. 

Jim McGuinness, in his first game in charge back at the helm in 2024, threw the then 17-year-old in the mix against Armagh in the Dr McKenna Cup.

However, it would soon transpire that the Glenties native’s inclusion broke a rule which stated that senior inter-county players have to be aged 18 by the start of the calendar year.

The breaks were immediately pumped on that progression, but the very next season, Roarty would hit the ground running, winning an Ulster title and playing a huge part as Donegal raced all the way to the All-Ireland SFC final.

It’s a serious blow for Donegal, though, as one of their main players becomes the latest rising Gaelic football star to depart for Down Under.

Kobe McDonald, after a phenomenal breakthrough season helping Mayo to the All-Ireland title, has linked up with St Kilda.

And AFL clubs continue to look towards Ireland for recruits, with trials taking place around the country throughout the summer.

Kerry U-20 All-Ireland winners Daniel Kirby and Evan Boyle were among the latest Kingdom players to attract interest, with both in line to receive offers from Richmond.

The midfield pair attended a combine in Athlone back in August, where they were joined by Dublin senior footballers Charlie McMorrow and Tim Deering as well as Carlow’s John Phiri.

Mark O’Connor recently returned to Dingle and played a part in their All-Ireland campaign, after establishing himself in the AFL last term with Geelong.

Kerry, in particular, have been hit hard with the likes of Cillian Burke, Rob Monahan and Ben Murphy taking up opportunities Down Under in recent times.

Donegal 2012 All-Ireland winners, Michael Murphy and Patrick McBrearty were targets as teenagers but rebuffed those advances.

Another Tír Chonaill pair Peadar Mogan and Oisin Gallen also travelled to Australia back in 2019 to participate in the NAB AFL Draft Combine, but nothing materialised out of that fortnight’s audition.