Former Kilkenny minor captain Darragh Joyce is celebrating an incredible achievement, having won the AFL Premier Division Trophy with the Brisbane Lions.
The Lions ended a 21-year title drought by defeating the Sydney Swans, marking a historic moment for the club, which has not claimed the championship since 2003.
The victory comes as sweet redemption for Brisbane, who narrowly lost the 2023 Grand Final by just one kick to Collingwood. Meanwhile, Sydney’s heartbreak continues, having lost their fourth consecutive Grand Final (2014, 2016, 2022, 2024).
Joyce, hailing from Rower-Inistioge, joined the Brisbane Lions last year after previously playing for Melbourne-based St. Kilda. He’s not the only Irish player on the Lions’ roster, with Conor McKenna and Dubliner James Madden also flying the flag for Ireland.
Having originally signed with St. Kilda at just 19, Joyce became the first Kilkenny man to represent the club, and only the third Irish player to do so in St. Kilda’s 149-year history. Though his family is deeply rooted in hurling—his brother Kieran Joyce is an All-Ireland winner with Kilkenny—it was Darragh’s talents on the football pitch that caught the attention of AFL scouts while he was playing with Good Counsel in Wexford.
In a previous interview with KCLR, Joyce shared how a conversation with Kilkenny hurling legend Eddie Brennan played a pivotal role in his decision to pursue a career in Australia.
“The pull of hurling was massive, especially with my brother Kieran having so much success. Eddie Brennan was the under-21 manager that year, and I had a chat with him before training. He said if he ever had the opportunity to do something like that again, he would jump at it. We had a great chat, and that solidified it with me that I wanted to do it,” Joyce said.
“Eddie probably did not think much of the conversation at the time, but I took a lot from it.”
Now, Joyce’s decision to follow the path to Australia has paid off in the biggest way, as he celebrates his AFL triumph with Brisbane. His journey from the hurling fields of Kilkenny to the grand stages of Australian football is an inspiring story of ambition and perseverance.
Joyce’s success is another chapter in the growing list of Irish players making their mark in the AFL, and his achievement is sure to inspire young athletes in both codes for years to come.
