Michael Quinn (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Michael Quinn is a former Gaelic football
er turned professional Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Essendon Football Club
in the Australian Football League
(AFL).
Quinn is notable as holding the record for the quickest conversion of a former GAA player to play in the AFL, taking the record from Martin Clarke
and having made his AFL debut just weeks after arriving in Australia
.
, County Longford
in Ireland
. He played underage Gaelic football with the Killoe Young Emmets Gaa Club, and made his Club Senior Championship debut in 2008, where he helped his club reach the Longford Senior Championship semi final. In addition he also played for the Longford minor team in the Leinster Minor Championship in the same year, reaching the Leinster semi final.
In August 2008, Quinn arrived in Melbourne for a two-week trial with Essendon. After impressing talent scouts he returned to Ireland but was invited to return to Australia in November to be signed as an international rookie on 16 November.
affiliate the Bendigo Bombers
, Quinn showed prodigious progress with the oval ball, with a standout performance in an early intra-club match. After the match, Matthew Knights
insisted on Quinn training with the senior side. His form saw him selected into the Essendon side for the 2009 NAB Cup
in a match initially scheduled to be played in Darwin, Northern Territory
but was moved to Melbourne to become a tribute match for the Black Saturday bushfires. Quinn's Australian host family had already made travel plans and took him to Darwin in the run up to his debut match.
There he impressed enough with his pace, evasive skills and ability to earn possessions to be elevated to the senior list in place of injured Scott Gumbleton
on 2 April and selected in the senior side for round 2 of the premiership season.
His debut was considered a standout for an Irish convert by football and media commentators, racking up 20 possessions, including 8 kicks, 12 handballs and 4 marks. Former Irish Australian rules footballer Jim Stynes
described the debut as "phenomenal" and that he believed that Quinn will "hopefully have a long career" in the AFL.
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
er turned professional Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Essendon Football Club
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL).
Quinn is notable as holding the record for the quickest conversion of a former GAA player to play in the AFL, taking the record from Martin Clarke
Martin Clarke
Martin 'Marty' Clarke is a Gaelic footballer from Cranfield Point, County Down, Northern Ireland. He is also an Australian rules footballer for Collingwood in the Australian Football League.- Underage :...
and having made his AFL debut just weeks after arriving in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Early life
Quinn grew up in KilloeKilloe
Killoe is a parish in County Longford, Ireland. It is located about ten kilometeres north of Longford Town and is bordered by the parishes of Drumlish, Ballinalee, Edgeworthstown, Longford and Newtownforbes...
, County Longford
County Longford
County Longford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford.Longford County Council is the local authority for the county...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He played underage Gaelic football with the Killoe Young Emmets Gaa Club, and made his Club Senior Championship debut in 2008, where he helped his club reach the Longford Senior Championship semi final. In addition he also played for the Longford minor team in the Leinster Minor Championship in the same year, reaching the Leinster semi final.
In August 2008, Quinn arrived in Melbourne for a two-week trial with Essendon. After impressing talent scouts he returned to Ireland but was invited to return to Australia in November to be signed as an international rookie on 16 November.
AFL career
Initially expected to be groomed through the Victorian Football LeagueVictorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
affiliate the Bendigo Bombers
Bendigo Bombers
The Bendigo Bombers Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia playing in the Victorian Football League .-Brief history:...
, Quinn showed prodigious progress with the oval ball, with a standout performance in an early intra-club match. After the match, Matthew Knights
Matthew Knights
Matthew Knights is a former Australian rules football player, having played in the midfield for the Richmond Football Club from 1988 to 2002. He went on to a coaching career, most notably as head coach of the Essendon Football Club from 2008 to 2010...
insisted on Quinn training with the senior side. His form saw him selected into the Essendon side for the 2009 NAB Cup
2009 NAB Cup
The 2009 NAB Cup is the Australian Football League pre-season competition that was played before the Australian Football League's 2009 Premiership season begins. It culminated with the Final on 13 March 2009 played between Geelong and Collingwood and was won by Geelong...
in a match initially scheduled to be played in Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
but was moved to Melbourne to become a tribute match for the Black Saturday bushfires. Quinn's Australian host family had already made travel plans and took him to Darwin in the run up to his debut match.
There he impressed enough with his pace, evasive skills and ability to earn possessions to be elevated to the senior list in place of injured Scott Gumbleton
Scott Gumbleton
Scott Gumbleton is an Australian rules footballer in the AFL, currently on the list for the Essendon Football Club.He was chosen by with the second selection in the 2006 AFL Draft. Prior to the Draft, Gumbleton was widely seen as one of the top key position players for his age group, and was...
on 2 April and selected in the senior side for round 2 of the premiership season.
His debut was considered a standout for an Irish convert by football and media commentators, racking up 20 possessions, including 8 kicks, 12 handballs and 4 marks. Former Irish Australian rules footballer Jim Stynes
Jim Stynes
James "Jim" Stynes OAM is an Irish former professional Australian rules footballer who is currently a businessman, philanthropist, writer, youth worker, qualified teacher and chairman of Melbourne Football Club since 2008....
described the debut as "phenomenal" and that he believed that Quinn will "hopefully have a long career" in the AFL.