When St Kilda List Manager, Tony Elshaug, and Pro Scout, Wayne Hughes, insisted that Darragh Joyce spend an extra year in Ireland and enjoy a year at college before pursuing a career in our game, that advice put the hurling star on a path to Linen House Centre.
Joyce tested at last October’s Draft Combine at Etihad Stadium and met with the Saints at the National Draft in Adelaide in November, where the club left a lasting impression on the 19-year-old from Kilkenny in the Emerald Isle.
“I was down in Australia last year down at the National Draft and I met up with Wayne Hughes and Tony Elshaug – they were very good to me,” Joyce told saints.com.au on Friday before returning to Ireland ahead of the pre-season.
“They let me go home for a year, enjoy college and let me go and have fun for a year, deliberate the decision and have a think about it. They just made me feel really comfortable with the way they approached it. I’m delighted to be here at the Saints.”
After inking a deal with St Kilda a couple of months ago, Joyce has spent the last fortnight back in Seaford, training with the VFL team, honing his skills with some of the development coaches and working with the welfare team to organise all of the logistics associated with moving 17,000 km.
With some time now before the start of pre-season on November 7, Joyce will return home for six weeks and prepare for his maiden summer in the AFL. And the heat won’t be a problem for the Irishmen despite his complexion suggesting otherwise.
“I’ll just go home and get in the best shape possible and then come out here and hit the ground running for pre-season. I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.
“I can’t wait to get over here and get stuck into it. I’m hearing a lot about it at this stage so I just want to get busy and get into it.
“I like the heat myself. When I was over here last year I trained in 40 degree heat and that was an experience in itself. I’m just looking forward to getting stuck into it with the guys.”
With Gaelic football young gun, Ray Connellan, also joining St Kilda in November, Joyce will be able to share the ride with someone else who is in the same boat. Connellan didn’t come out with Joyce this time, after he suffered a leg fracture in a game a couple of months ago. But he will be ready to go come day one of the pre-season.
“It’s handy to have Ray; obviously we can bounce ideas off each other. Ray’s very good, he’s unlucky at home nursing a broken leg. He’ll be ready to go in November as well. It’s good to have that company coming over,” he said.
