NEW ST Kilda Category B Rookie Kobe McDonald will head to Australia next month to start life in the AFL, but on Sunday the teenager helped County Mayo break a mythical curse by winning its first All-Ireland title in 75 years.
The 18-year-old signed a contract with the Saints last year but committed to finishing his Leaving Cert at home and playing this season in the GAA before relocating to Melbourne.
St Kilda head of talent and acquisition Graeme Allan was inside Croke Park in Dublin on Sunday, along with more than 82,000 others, to witness Mayo end a run of 13 All-Ireland finals without a win dating back to 1951, by beating powerhouse Kerry.
Allan has overseen St Kilda's recruitment strategy in the Emerald Isle in recent years, which has included the signing of Liam O'Connell, who played his 16th AFL game on Sunday, and Eamonn Armstrong.
McDonald is set to move to Melbourne in the coming weeks and will be joined by his parents, who are understood to be relocating with the teenager.
Kobe's father, Ciaran, was one of the finest Gaelic Footballers of his generation and represented Ireland in the 2005 International Rules series against Australia.
Mayo has had to slowly come to terms with losing one of the brightest talents in the sport over the past 12 months, just years after Oisin Mullin was lured to Geelong after being named the best young player in the GAA twice.
Mullin has emerged as a critical puzzle piece of Chris Scott’s game plan over the past 18 months, but unlike McDonald, he didn't move to Australia until the age of 22 and didn't play his first AFL game until 23.
The Cats have enjoyed tremendous success out of Ireland. Zach Tuohy played his best football down at Kardinia Park and won a premiership in 2022 alongside Mark O'Connor, who Geelong allowed to play Gaelic Football over summer, where he won the All-Ireland club title with Dingle.
McDonald is considered one of the most talented Irishmen to ever be signed by an AFL club, which was on the country's mind on Sunday morning when they woke up to a headline in The Times that read, ‘The rise of the boy genius bound for the AFL’.
His decision has drawn fierce scrutiny across Ireland given his athletic prowess, deadly decision-making and pedigree, amplified by the social media age, which is why Sunday was so significant for him and his county.
"To be honest, I'm not thinking about Australia right now, I'm just soaking in every single bit of this," McDonald said on Irish public service broadcaster RTÉ on the ground after the win.
"This is where I come from, so to give the people of Mayo something to cheer about is special."
McDonald had 'one chance' written on his wrist tape on Sunday. If he makes his mark in the AFL, the Irishman might not be back permanently for a long time. He certainly made the most of his chance on Sunday.