Ciarán Byrne has signed a two-year international rookie contract with Carlton.
Dundalk teenager Ciarán Byrne has signed for Carlton, after impressing the club’s recruiters during a recent trial.
The 18-year-old Louth Gaelic footballer, who has signed a two-year international rookie contract, joins fellow Irishman Zach Tuohy at the Blues.
Byrne will join the team in Arizona for a pre-season training camp in December before heading back to Ireland to spend Christmas with his family.
He will begin his AFL adventure in Melbourne in January.
The club first spotted the youngster at an AFL recruitment camp in Limerick in 2011. Carlton recruiting manager Wayne Hughes has been impressed by the young Irishman.
“In his game he’s a very good player,” said Hughes. “He’s got all the athletic qualities that you look for.”
Zach Tuohy, who will play his 50th game at Carlton this weekend, said the teenager will need to be determined to make it in the AFL.
“I’ve always said I’ll always encourage any Irish player to come over and give it a go,” he said. “It’s not a holiday – it is hard work.
“You need to be determined and it has to be what you want to do.”
Elsewhere, Down native Marty Clarke will miss the remainder of Collingwood’s season.
The club’s director of football Rodney Eade said the 25-year-old underwent ankle surgery last week . However, Clarke’s ligament damage was worse than physios first thought.
