‘I’m heading down to the AFL as a professional and that is the attractive side for me’

TOM GANNON

Eamonn Armstrong has been a revelation in Meath GAA circles this year. The Duleek/Bellewstown clubman was a very influential figure in Cathal O Bric's u-20 Meath side that was so successful in 2024.

Last week, news broke that Eamonn had signed a deal to move down under and play for AFL side St Kilda following the completion of his Leaving Cert next June.

It was a big blow for the general Meath fans who had high hopes of what Armstrong might be able to achieve in a Meath jersey in the coming years. However, for Eamonn, it was a fantastic opportunity that will give him the chance to live as a professional athlete.

It's an adventure he's understandably looking forward to yet fully aware it contains it's fair share of challenges - but how did the transfer to St Kilda come about?

"Initially I did a few general AFL Trials. They're like combines. I did two trials. A lot of it to be fair is with the round ball. They want to see how you move more so than anything else. They do a small bit of kicking with the Sherrin (a brand of oval ball used in AFL) as well. St Kilda then got in contact back in July and told me that they would like to have a chat with me. I was after doing a few general AFL trials before that so I was kicking the Sherrin around a bit. St Kilda’s asked me if would I come out and have a look around and train a bit with the lads over there. At the time I wasn't able to go out because I was in the Gaeltacht and I didn't want to leave there to go. I eventually went during the October mid-term and did a bit of training with them. They gave me some time to make a decision, I called them back last week and said yeah let's do it."

Many GAA fans get their fix of AFL from watching the highlights of the women's side of the sport on TG4 on a Sunday morning. As Eamonn explains, there is Meath interest in that too, with Vicky Wall and Orlaith Lally both involved.

"I would have been up for work on a Sunday, so for quite some time now I would get up on a Sunday morning and watch the women's AFL games on TG4. It's a mad sport to get a handle on but if you watch enough you get an idea. There is Meath interest there with Vicki Wall and Orlaith Lally, so yeah it's an enjoyable sport to watch".

It's well documented that the Irish have done well in the AFL in recent times and most recently, Conor McKenna and Darragh Joyce had fantastic success with the Brisbane Lions. Armstrong details how the Australians are fantastic at looking after the GAA lads who travel over.

"Irish lads have had great success down there and a good few have reached the peak of the game. Even this year, Conor McKenna and Darragh Joyce were part of the Brisbane Lions side that won the grand final. They do look after the Irish lads out there. They know that it's a new sport to us and that we are a long way from home. They do their utmost to look after the lads that head out."

Armstrong will be hoping his time in Australia is as successful as McKenna's and Joyce, but he realises that he has to keep his ambitions in check for the moment.

"I have to go over with realistic ambitions. I am going over as the worst player. Once I get comfortable, I can start working towards playing my first game and then maybe getting a string of games together. I'm not looking much further than that. My goal heading down there is to establish myself. I'm comfortable with the fact that I'll need to work hard to get up to speed before making any sort of progress."

Armstrong continued by detailing the various challenges in learning the sport itself and the different aspects that will be difficult to get used to. "I think just the positional side of things will be the hardest thing to get used to. It will probably take time to learn where to be at certain stages and where to be when the ball is in a certain spot. That will probably be the toughest element. The ball itself is very technical. Getting to know the way to drop it, where to hold it, and where to kick it, that all takes time to get used to. I'm going to have to put huge work into kicking and learning the game but after that, I hope to kick on.

Armstrong gave us some insight on how he has gotten to this stage. His love for sport, his time with St Patrick’s Athletic, and the rediscovery of his love for the GAA.

"Sport was always a huge thing for me. GAA was always my first love but one of my friends dad's set up a soccer team for us to have a kick around. We were fairly decent to be fair. We got to an All-Ireland last 32 and St Patrick’s Athletic in Dublin saw me and went to play for them for a while. I was travelling up and down to Dublin three or four nights a week for soccer. If I'm being honest with myself, there was never really a chance of me becoming a professional soccer player. I started playing Gaelic again in 2022. I found that I loved it. I was just going back to have a kick about with the lads and I fell in love with the game again."

Armstrong was a very important figure in Cathal O Bric's successful u-20 side in 2024 but initially, Armstrong's expectations were a lot lower than what he achieved in reality.

" I honestly didn't think I was going to play with the u-20s this year. It was an All-Ireland-winning team and I was just hoping to pick up a bit of experience and be ready to go for next year or the year after. The management team were absolutely exceptional. They all wanted to improve lads and they are all passionate about Meath football. They always had it drilled into us that the Leinster title was the aim and we got there.

The AFL deal was not the only reason that Armstrong was in the news last week. He also officially received his Leinster u-20 Player of the Year award at a ceremony in the Headfort Arms. However, when speaking about the achievement, Armstrong had a rather modest opinion.

"I never read too much into individual honours. I would not have gotten any individual awards without the lads around me. It was nice to get, but I'd nearly give it back to the lads that play with me.

Armstrong's incredible work ethic was a big factor in the success that he had in 2024, and he detailed how the system that Meath 20's played suited his high-energy approach.

"I think the easiest part of the game is running. You don't have to be an exceptional footballer to just keep running. I was in a system with the Meath 20's where I was allowed to run and get up and down. It's something that I am well capable of doing so you know, why not utilise it."

For Meath fans who are a disappointed they won't be seeing Armstrong in a Meath jersey for the foreseeable, all hope is not lost as he still has ambitions of representing his county again one day.

"I'm heading down to the AFL as a professional and that is the attractive side for me. I want to go and be a professional and live as a professional. However, playing for Meath was always my first dream before soccer or AFL or anything like that. Whether I am in Australia for a year or 10 years, I will always have a desire to play for Meath because it is a childhood dream of mine to represent my county"