If the Riverina experiences an influx of Irishmen looking for a game of Aussie rules in the next couple of years, thank Dominic Joyce.
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The likeable Temora ruckman is taking an important message with him when he heads home next year.
“I’ll be recommending to anyone in Ireland that if they’re going to Australia to go to Wagga and play some footy – you’ll increase your skill levels and learn a lot about good team ethics,” Joyce said.
Joyce arrived a couple of years ago through his partner’s work, and leaves having played in the Riverina League, the Farrer League and at the MCG.
He played the 2014 season with Collingullie-Glenfield Park but the year was most memorable for the International Cup final, which Ireland lost to Papua New Guinea at the MCG.
“It was brilliant,” Joyce said of the game played in front of an estimated 15,000 people in the lead-up to a Hawthorn-Geelong AFL match.
“I haven’t played at the equivalent in Ireland, Croke Park, so it was an honour and a privilige to play at the ground.”
Through one of his Irish teammates, Joyce was put in touch with Temora coach Christin Macri and elected to make the switch to the Farrer League this season.
“I wanted to play first grade, I always wanted to play as high a level as I possibly could,” he said.
“I wasn’t sure if I would make it at Collingullie, but I liked the set-up at Temora.”
He was also keen to play in the ruck, which was a more likely scenario at the Kangaroos than the Demons.
If there was excitement about him being the international in the team, Joyce was soon overshadowed.
“I thought I’d be the talk of the town, then the Americans arrived not long afterwards,” he said.
“The novelty of Irish players playing AFL had worn off… to have Americans coming to play, that was a real novelty!”
Joyce is currently travelling around Australia with his wife, Ravnita. He has another couple of months on the road, travelling down the east coast, before he heads home in March.
Originally from Galway, he’ll be moving to Cork – where he intends to continue his Australian rules career with the Leeside Lions.
“There’s six teams in Ireland. We play a league amongst ourselves and the winner of the Irish League goes to a Champions League-type competition in Europe.”
Joyce will take plenty of memories home with him but he leaves with a message for the Aussies.
“To anyone involved in Collingullie and Temora – thanks very much. I wish I was 24, not 34, and I’d be hanging around for a few more years. I had a great time,” he said.
