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Live sport on SN this weekendAn Irish All-Australian? Why Mullin should be considered for the AA squad
Nicholas Quinlan • July 25th, 2026 3:39 pm
In the All-Australians’ 35-year existence, only Jim Stynes and Mark Keane have been the only two Irishmen to make the squad/team.
But could the luck of the Irish be on the side of Geelong’s Oisin Mullin at season’s end to become only the third AFL player to do so?
Throughout the last two seasons, Mullin has proven himself to be the competition’s best tagger, having helped neutralise the AFL’s best.
On Friday night, the Irishman had the responsibility to tag Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett and kept him to his second-lowest disposal count for the season with 14, limiting his impact on the game.
Having had a similar effect on the likes of Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera in Round 19, Marcus Bontempelli in Round 6, Izak Rankine in Round 3 and Nick Daicos in their Round 9 clash, former All-Australian selector Kane Cornes believes Mullin’s name is worthy of being in the discussion.
“It's a good eight-minute discussion in the All-Australian meeting,” Cornes said on SEN’s Crunch Time.
“You do need your clubs to advocate for your players, and some clubs advocate harder, and there's certain nominations that clubs make.
“I would hope when Geelong send this through, which they would've done already, that they have nominated him.
“It's been a while since a tagger has made the All-Australian side.
Cameron Ling certainly has, but it's been some time, and these things are hard because you go, ‘Well, we've got heaps of midfielders, so if you pick Mullen, which gun midfielder are you going to leave out?’
Cameron Ling certainly has, but it's been some time, and these things are hard because you go, ‘Well, we've got heaps of midfielders, so if you pick Mullen, which gun midfielder are you going to leave out?’
“Are you willing to leave Bailey Smith out of the All-Australian team for Mullin?”
That sentiment was shared by Gerard Whateley, who thinks that he is capable of making the expanded squad of 46.
Whateley: “Just make it the squad, Kane.”
“I think it's hard for the 23, but I think the 46 offers such scope, doesn't it?”
Cornes: “So, you pick the two teams, in position so, you've got a good balance, so you don't end up having 25 midfielders.
“You want to have a great cross section (and) actually pick the second team in positions as well.
“But absolutely, Gerard, you don't have to convince me. I'd be all for it.
“I just know how these discussions work. I think it's going to be hard for him to make it, but certainly worthy of a long discussion.”
The Cats will look to keep the winning feeling alive next Thursday when they take on Collingwood at the MCG with Mullin likely to have the responsibility of tagging Nick Daicos.
The match will start at 7:30pm AEST.
