Kobe set to feature for Crossmolina on Sunday
Mayo’s and Crossmolina’s Jordan Flynn, Conor Loftus and Kobe McDonald carry the Sam Maguire Cup to the presentation area at the Mayo team’s homecoming in St. Tiernan’s GAA Park, Crossmolina. Picture: David Farrell Photography
Kobe McDonald is set to make his return to the GAA field this coming weekend.
The All-Ireland winning Mayo footballer was in Australia linking up with St Kilda, the Aussie Rules team he has joined on a Category B Rookie contract, in the weeks after the All-Ireland.
However, he returned home a week ago and it has now been revealed that St Kilda have released him to play with his club for the remainder of their championship.
Crossmolina play Mayo Gaels on Sunday at 1pm in Charlestown and need a result to be certain of making the quarter-finals.
St Kilda’s 2026 season ended recently when they missed out on the playoffs. They are due to start pre-season on November 9. Last year, Geelong allowed Dingle’s Mark O’Connor to play on their run to an All-Ireland title.
St Kilda’s General Manager of Football, Lenny Hayes, told The Irish Examiner that McDonald and his Irish teammates Eamonn Armstrong from Meath and Liam O’Connell from Cork ‘expressed a desire to represent their local Gaelic football sides during the AFL off-season’.
"As a club, it's really important that we support our players in their lives outside of being professional AFL footballers.
"We understand how much home means to each of these boys, and we didn't want to stand in the way of this opportunity to represent the communities and clubs they come from.
"The opportunity to play should only benefit their aerobic conditioning, and we look forward to welcoming them back in November for the first day of pre-season,” he said.
