Alarm clocks will be going off early on Saturday morning across the parish of Kilmaine, Co. Mayo.

Oisin Mullen, one of the village’s most accomplished sons, will be stepping onto one of the biggest stages in world sport.

The 25-year-old Kilmaine man has already packed plenty into his sporting career, with two Young Footballer of the Year awards, an All-Star, and two All-Ireland final appearances with Mayo in a three-year intercounty career.

This Saturday morning, he has the chance to make a different kind of history as he lines out against the Brisbane Lions at the MCG in front of more than 100,000 people.

For one last time in 2025 👊 Our Grand Final team is in!@SimondsHomes | #WeAreGeelong

— Geelong Cats (@GeelongCats) September 25, 2025

Mullin has become an important part of the Geelong team, bringing his man-marking skills to the rough and tumble of AFL. He scored his first-ever goal in the qualifying final against the Brisbane Lions, the team Geelong will face on Saturday.

“That’s his first goal in the big time, can you believe it?!?”

Great scenes as Oisin Mullen kicks his first-ever AFL goal for Geelong.pic.twitter.com/oPgVi7H3Fn

— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) September 5, 2025

If Mullin and Geelong get the job done on Saturday, he will become the first-ever Mayo man to win the AFL’s biggest prize, joining Tadhg Kennelly, Conor McKenna, Zach Tuohy and Kerry’s Mark O’Connor on the honour roll of Irish winners.

Speaking to Balls.ie ahead of the Grand Final, Mullin’s Kilmaine teammate and close friend Adam Barrett reflected on Mullin’s rise from Kilmaine to Melbourne.

“I was with Oisín from, I’d say, U10. He was always definitely the best player, but also the happiest kind of fella around the dressing room.

“Everyone got along with him, and he brought a buzz around the place.”

Barrett says Mullin’s trademark speed and tackling ability, honed marking the likes of Con O’Callaghan in the green and red, have made him a natural fit in the AFL.

“He’s well used to starting at full-back for Mayo. I think he marked Con a few times there. But just even his tackling, his tackling is the best I’ve ever seen. His speed also is top class for sure.”

Barrett also says that Mullin’s physicality stood out even before the gym sessions with Mayo bulked him up.

“I’ve always found he’s always been really, really strong even when he wasn’t doing any gym. He was just naturally strong. But since then he’s grown into a different animal.”

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And while the bright lights of the MCG are a world away from south Mayo, the pride back home is huge.

“There’s a lot of talk about it, especially now that they’ve gotten further, and a lot of the lads on the team are planning on watching it this Saturday. I’m sure there’ll be flags and posters coming up this week.

It means an awful lot to a small community like Kilmaine. It just goes to show no matter where you’re from, if you have the desire to do it, you’ll become whatever you want to be.”

 

As for Saturday morning, Barrett will not be missing a second.

“I definitely will be watching, I’ll have the alarm set for half five.”

From All-Ireland heartbreak to the chance of AFL glory, Oisín Mullin has already shown remarkable progress since making the switch. Speaking on the Irish Examiner Gaelic football podcast during the week, former Mayo manager James Horan hailed him as a “phenomenon.”

Whether Mullin will return to the GAA is unclear, but it is certainly not on his horizon for the time being. Mullin signed a new contract that will keep him with Geelong until 2027 in the summer.

Barrett added: “He seems to love it over there. Anytime I’m talking to him he’s happy out. I’m sure he misses home, but when you’re playing in front of 100,000 people, I’m sure he doesn’t miss home too much.”

Mullin won’t be the sole Irish representative in Saturday’s AFL Grand Final, with Kerry’s Mark O’Connor named in the Geelong starting side and Darragh Joyce listed as an emergency for Brisbane.

For now, Mayo and the whole of Kilmaine are ready to watch one of their own chase history in Melbourne.

Details:

Kick-off: Saturday, 27 September, 5:30 (Irish time)

Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground

How to watch: TNT Sports