Essendon has added to its list, signing athlete Cillian Bourke as a category B rookie for the 2026 season.
The Bombers were linked to the Gaelic talent, who stands at 190cm, possesses a skillset on both sides of his body and has size, athleticism and speed.
He hails from County Offaly, where he was named Under-20 player of the year, and will become the first player from that county to sign an AFL contract.
Bourke first visited Australia when he participated in the AFL Combine, and quickly impressed recruiters hailing from Tullamarine.
"It's pretty special to be here, and I can't wait to further experience the professional AFL life," Bourke said.
"I first got involved in AFL around July last year. I was contacted to do a couple of sessions in Dublin with some boys who had links to Australia, and after some testing, everything started to fall into place.
"It's been great getting to know the boys and get stuck into main training. I'm an athletic player and can cover the field up and down, and I've got good leg speed, and I back myself to be solid on both feet.
"I'm really looking forward to pushing forward and hopefully becoming one of the Ireland success stories."
Essendon List and Recruiting Manager Matt Rosa said the Irishman would suit the demands of elite level football.
"It's awesome to be bringing Cillian aboard to kick off his career as an AFL player,” Rosa said.
"From his tryouts abroad and his efforts at the Combine this year, Cillian really stood out to our recruiting team as someone who could transition to footy well and provide a great point of difference for us.
"His speed, power and agility are obvious high-end traits, but his foot skills and the ability to read the Gaelic game as well as he does will give him a good base to work with.
"We're super excited to welcome him into the program. The boys will be quick to get around him and make him feel at home."
Bourke joins the club alongside Brayden Fiorini, as well as draftees Sullivan Robey, Jacob Farrow, Dyson Sharp, Max Kondogiannis and Hussien El Achkar.
