There’s good news for Kilkenny’s Darragh Joyce, who has secured a new AFL deal with North Melbourne Kangaroos.
The 29-year-old defender has joined North Melbourne as a delisted free agent, just two weeks after Brisbane Lions confirmed he would not be offered a contract for the 2027 season.
Joyce will now embark on the next chapter of his Australian Rules career with a third AFL club, having previously represented St Kilda and Brisbane.
The former Kilkenny minor hurling captain joined St Kilda in 2017 as a Category B rookie, making 13 senior appearances during his six seasons with the club before moving to Brisbane ahead of the 2023 campaign.
He went on to make 14 appearances for the Lions across four seasons, including three outings during their 2026 premiership-winning campaign.
North Melbourne have identified Joyce as an addition to their defensive options, with the club’s head of football talent Brady Rawlings highlighting the experience he brings to the squad.
“Darragh provides proven reliability and key-position flexibility that will strengthen our back half,” Rawlings said.
Joyce’s manager, former AFL player Liam Pickering, had previously described the move as a great opportunity for both player and club, pointing to his experience of being part of Brisbane’s successful squad.
The signing also ends speculation about a possible return to Kilkenny hurling in the near future. Joyce captained Kilkenny to All-Ireland minor success in 2014, but his new deal means his immediate future remains in Australia.
For the Rower-Inistioge native, the opportunity to continue his AFL career represents another significant milestone as he prepares to pull on the North Melbourne colours.
