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25th February 2026
10:06am GMT

The better Kobe McDonald plays, the more bittersweet it will be for Mayo fans, knowing they will be losing him to Australia after the summer.
The 18-year-old's performance against Monaghan on the weekend - where he scored 1-4 off the bench - solidified the hype around him as the best young player in the country.
His play has also intensified the discussions around the AFL and their 'poaching' of Irish talent, with McDonald moving to play with St Kilda later this year.
Many have made the move Down Under, including Mayo's Oisín Mullin, Roscommon's Pearce Hanley, and Ben Murphy and Mark O'Connor, both from Kerry.
Speaking on the Indo GAA podcast, Kerry legend Pat Spillane urged the GAA to do something about the issue.
He said: "You have Oisín Mullin, you had Pearce Hanley that went.
"Kerry have lost Ben Murphy and we know we have Mark O'Connor.
"But Kerry have a conveyor belt of talent that you probably get away with it and have got away with it. Maybe we could have won more All-Irelands if Mark was there.
"Well done Kobe, what an opportunity to go to the AFL, but we have to do something.
"I mean a county like Mayo, who are starving for All-Ireland success, need to do something to keep the Kobe McDonalds, to keep their stars at home.
"I don't know what that involves or not, but there's no doubt about it, the AFL are getting away with murder, taking our talent and getting them for nothing.
"We have to have some legislation that club, that counties, in particular clubs, must be rewarded for nurturing the talent that is Kobe McDonald."
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