AUSSIE RULES:THE FORMER Mayo footballer Pearce Hanley will make his Australian Rules debut tomorrow, just nine months after joining the AFL club Brisbane Lions.
Hanley's promotion rivals the remarkable success story of Martin Clarke at Collingwood; the young Down star is a regular for the Pies within a year of making the transition from Gaelic football to Aussie Rules.
Laois's Colm Begley has been omitted from the Lions squad.
The 19-year-old Ballaghadereen man's selection by coach Leigh Matthews for the game against Carlton Blues has been described in the local Courier Mail as "one of the most tantalising gambles in Lions history".
A housemate of Begley, Hanley feels he is ready to make the step up: "I have picked up on the basics of the game pretty quick but I am on a learning curve and I have still been making a mistake or two playing in the reserves," said Hanley. "I have been mainly playing in the defence since I came over here but I was actually tried out on the wing last weekend and I really enjoyed it."
The Lions lodged papers with the AFL to get the international rookie-contracted player elevated to the senior list.
The teenager, a Ron Barassi medallist as the best player in the last Under-17 International Rules series, has settled well in Queensland but admits his main problem has been adjusting to a completely different life.
"I live with Colm and Cheynee Stiller and they have been great to me. Colm has really taken me under his wing and helped me with what to expect in AFL."
