- Colm Begley
-
Colm Begley 
Personal information Birth 31 August 1986 , Ireland Recruited from Laois GAA (Gaelic Football) Height and weight 188cm / 83 kg Playing career¹ Debut 2006, Brisbane Lions v.
Melbourne Demons NAB quarter final, at Telstra DomeTeam(s) St Kilda (2009)
1 Game, 0 GoalsBrisbane Lions (2006–2008)
29 Games, 7 Goals¹ Statistics to end of 2008 season Career highlights - St Kilda Minor Premiership Side 2009
- International Rules Series U19's – 2005, 2006
- 2008
- Brisbane Lions, Rookie Of The Year 2007
Colm Begley Personal information Sport Gaelic Football Position Wing Back Born 31 August 1986
IrelandHeight 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Club(s) Years Club Stradbally
ParnellsClub Titles Laois titles 1 Inter-county(ies) Years County 2005–2006
2010–Laois
LaoisColm Begley is a Gaelic footballer from Ireland. He has also played Australian rules football for the St Kilda Football Club and Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Contents
Recruitment
Begley was scouted by the Lions football manager Graeme Allan, along with several other potential recruits during a training camp in Ireland, having previously witnessed a near best on ground performance from the young Irishman in the Under 19s International Rules series playing for Ireland against Australia. Begley was later persuaded to move to Australia as a rookie listed professional Australian rules footballer in 2005.
AFL career
Brisbane Lions
Begley played his very first game of Australian rules immediately after moving from Ireland to Australia in 2006. In just his third game weeks later, he lined up in a NAB Cup quarter final. In that game he picked up a total of six possessions and one mark whilst playing on Melbourne speedster Aaron Davey.
Begley at training prior to the 2009 AFL Grand Final
He was later elevated to the senior list during the regular season when the Lions suffered a string of injuries. In his senior debut against the West Coast Eagles he gathered seven possessions, seven marks and two hitouts, lining up on Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd. At the end of the season he was retained by the club as a rookie listed player.
Following his good form through the 2007 NAB Cup, Begley was once again elevated onto the Brisbane Lions' senior playing list and was soon after named on the interchange bench in the Lions' first game for the season. He was soon playing regularly for the Lions.[1] Begley was named the club's Rookie Of The Year in 2007.[2] His rise after such a short time playing the sport was described as 'remarkable'.[3] However, Brisbane opted not to offer him a new contract for the 2009 season following an injury ravaged 2008 which restricted him to only eight appearances.[2]
Begley represented Ireland in the senior 2008 International Rules Series with rumours of his delisting circulating; many commentators claimed that he was playing for his career.[4] During this time he said that if his AFL career was over he would return to play Gaelic football with Laois.[5] He appeared in both matches in the series, which Ireland won.
St Kilda
In the hope that he would be redrafted, Begley trained with Collingwood prior to the 2008 AFL Draft. He was eventually selected by St Kilda at pick 83.[6]
Begley played in only one of the 22 matches of the 2009 AFL season home and away rounds in which St Kilda qualified in first position for the finals, winning the club’s third minor premiership.[7]
After the 2009 AFL season, Begley retired from the AFL, announcing his desire to return to Ireland.[8]
Return to Ireland and Senior Gaelic Football
Colm is currently playing for Dublin GAA side Parnells and has returned to inter county football with his native Laois.
See also
- Players who have converted from one football code to another
- The Irish Experiment
References
- ^ AFL Tables - Colm Begley - Statistics. Stats.rleague.com (1986-08-31). Retrieved on 22 September 2011.
- ^ a b GAA Football & Hurling. Hoganstand.com. Retrieved on 22 September 2011.
- ^ "Brisbane Lions axe Irishman Begley". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 October 2008. http://news.smh.com.au/sport/brisbane-lions-axe-irishman-begley-20081028-5adl.html.
- ^ Why Begley needs to have day in the sun - Gaelic Football, Sport. Independent.ie. Retrieved on 22 September 2011.
- ^ Begley not ruling out possible return to Laois - Gaelic Football, Sport. Independent.ie. Retrieved on 22 September 2011.
- ^ "Selection 83: Colm Begley". http://www.afl.com.au// Australian Football League. 28 November 2008. http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=70347. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
- ^ "2009 Season Scores and Results – Ladder". AFL Tables. 2009. http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/2009.html#lad. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
- ^ "Begley calls time on AFL career". The Irish Times (21 October 2009). Retrieved on 22 September 2011.
External links
- Colm Begley's profile on the Official AFL Website of the Brisbane Lions Football Club
- Colm Begley's statistics from AFL Tables
- Brisbane Lions sign Irish duo and look to forge closer ties
- Irish rookie debuts for Lions
- Begley elevated to senior list
- Irish International Begley hits the bigtime
- Laois GAA Website
Laois - All Ireland Minor Football Champions 2003 (3rd title) 1 C. Gorman • 2 C Healy • 3 C. Ryan • 4 R. Stapleton • 5 P. O'Leary • 6 C. Begley • 7 N. Donoher • 8 B. Quigley • 9 C. Rogers (C) • 10 D Bergin • 11 Colm Kelly (Stradbally) • 12 P McNulty • 13 MJ Tierney • 14 D Brennan • 15 Colm Kelly (St Josephs) •
Manager: S. Dempsey |2008 AFL Draft First round Jack Watts • Nic Naitanui • Stephen Hill • Hamish Hartlett • Michael Hurley • Chris Yarran • Daniel Rich • Tyrone Vickery • Jack Ziebell • Phil Davis • Steele Sidebottom • Lewis Johnston • Tom Lynch • Ayce Cordy (F/S) • Mitchell Brown • Ryan Schoenmakers • Sam Blease (Priority Pick) • Luke Shuey (Priority Pick)Second round James Strauss • Tom Swift • Hayden Ballantyne • Jackson Trengove • David Zaharakis • Nick Suban • Jack Redden • Jayden Post • Sam Wright • Shaun McKernan • Dayne Beams • Daniel Hannebery • Jordan Roughead • Liam Jones • Thomas Gillies • Liam Shiels •Third round Jamie Bennell • Ashley Smith • Zac Clarke • Matthew Broadbent • Steven Motlop • Mitch Robinson • Todd Banfield • Mitchell Banner • Liam Anthony • Rory Sloane • Jarrad Blight • Luke Rounds • Rhys Stanley • Nicholas Heyne • Taylor Hunt • Jordan LisleFourth round Neville Jetta • Jordan Jones • Michael Walters • Jarrad Reddan • Michael Still • Ben Bucovaz • Aaron Cornelius • Tom Hislop • Nathan O'Keefe • Tom Lee • Campbell Heath • Alistair Smith • Luke LowdenFifth round Rohan Bail • Rhys O'Keeffe • Glenn Dawson • Tyson Slattery • Tim Ruffles • Bart McCulloch • Warren Benjamin • Will Young • Leigh Brown • Paul Cahill • Shane SavageSixth round Chris Hall • Jason Davenport • Caleb Tiller • Kieran King • Colm BegleyIreland international football team 2008 | International Rules Series 1 D. Gallagher | 2 C. Begley | 3 P. Bradley | 5 G. Canty (vc) | 6 S. Cavanagh (c) | 7 B. Coulter | 8 B. Cullen | 9 K. Donaghy | 10 L. Glynn | 11 F. Hanley | 12 J. Keane | 13 A. Kernan | 14 C. Lyng | 15 S. McDonnell | 16 E. McGinley | 17 C. McKeever | 18 Joe McMahon | 19 Justin McMahon | 20 M. Meehan | 21 J. Miskella | 22 A. O'Mahony | 23 P. O'Neill | 24 T. Parsons | 25 K. Reilly | • Paul Finlay | • M. McGrath | • K. Young
Standby players: • A. Carr | • R. Clarke | • C. Gormley | • K. McCloyCoach: S. Boylan
Selectors: • A. Tohill | • H. Kenny | • E. Liston
Runner: • S.M. Lockhart
Other backroom members: • T. Kennelly | • T. Brennan | • M. McGurn(Team as of 24 October 2008 versus Australia)
Categories:- Irish players of Australian rules football
- Brisbane Lions players
- St Kilda Football Club players
- Laois Gaelic footballers
- Stradbally (Laois) Gaelic footballers
- Parnells Gaelic footballers
- Gaelic footballers who switched code
- 1986 births
- Living people
- Irish international rules football players
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
