Oisín Mullin set to receive AFL contract offers after All-Ireland final
Oisín Picture: Inpho/tommy Mayo's Dickson Mullin
Mayo defender Oisín Mullin is expected to be officially approached by AFL clubs following the county’s All-Ireland SFC final next month.
Interest in the 2020 young footballer of the year, who is currently nursing a quad injury, has increased despite him being unable to attend an AFL Combine in Australia in April of last year because of the pandemic.
As he faces a fitness battle to be ready for the September 11 clash against Kerry or Tyrone, AFL clubs are keeping their distance from the Kilmaine clubman. However, a number of outfits are understood to be extremely keen to sign him up for the 2022 season and contracts are to be offered later in the year.
Speaking in March, Mayo manager James Horan insisted the 21-year-old and 2020 All-Star defender was fully committed to the county.
"Oisín had a brilliant year for us (in 2020) and is a very exciting prospect for us and will only get better with the mindset that he has. He's fully focused at the minute on Mayo GAA and where he can go and how he can develop.
"There'll always be noise around certain players, there's no doubt about it, but at the moment Oisín is fully committed, enjoying his Gaelic, had a very strong year, and there's plenty more to come from Oisín."
Mayo have lost the likes of the Hanley brothers, Pearse and Cian, to the AFL, although the latter returned to line out for the county in 2019. Pearse appeared in the 2007 senior championship but then signed for the Brisbane Lions.
Mullin along with county team-mate Matthew Ruane attended an AFL Combine in Dublin in December 2019. A new rule that allows AFL clubs to designate an extra “replacement year” to third-year rookies is expected to make Irish players even more attractive to them.