Well, it’s official: Kobe McDonald has landed in Melbourne as he is set to embark on his new career in Aussie Rules with St Kilda.

The 18-year-old prodigy is less than two weeks removed from winning a historic All-Ireland Football title with Mayo, starring as the side ended their 75-year wait for the Sam Maguire Cup. However, just as soon as he took the world of GAA by storm, he’s gone off to Oz in an exciting opportunity.

McDonald has joined up with the St Kilda team, who themselves haven’t won the AFL Grand Final since 1966 in another long sporting drought, and everyone at the team is excited to see him arrive.

In a statement on their website, St Kilda General Manager of Football Lenny Hayes revealed that the team had a keen eye on McDonald’s form with Mayo throughout the Championship.

‘Everyone at the club was certainly invested in following Kobe’s journey through the GAA finals,’ he said.

‘The scenes when Mayo won the All-Ireland Championship were incredible to watch from afar, and we’re thrilled for Kobe that he was able to bring so much joy to his county.’

The 18-year-old has been assigned the position of ‘medium defender’ on their official website, as he begins a professional career in a completely different sport. And while there are plenty of success stories like Jim Stynes and Oisin Mullin, there are many more GAA players who have failed to adapt to Aussie Rules.

Hayes seems to be all too aware of this and is making sure to give Kobe McDonald enough time to get the hang of his new surroundings and new sport. ‘Our expectations for Kobe in the short term are quite modest’, he explained.

‘The priority is helping him settle into Melbourne, build strong relationships at the club and give him the time and support to adapt to a completely new sport. We’re excited by the attributes he brings, but we also recognise the transition from Gaelic football to AFL takes time.’

He added: ‘We’ll be patient and allow him to gradually integrate into our program.’

McDonald will be joining two more Irishmen at St Kilda, with former Cork U20 footballer Liam O’Connell and Meath man Eamonn Armstrong.

McDonald is set to be in attendance at St Kilda’s next home game against Carlton at the 56,000-seater Marvel Stadium this Sunday.