Offaly man to compete in big seconds final in Victorian Football League
It is uncertain if Bourke will return home to play for Tullamore
OFFALY man Cillian Bourke has been selected on the Essendon 17 man team for their Victorian Football League second preliminary final on Saturday.
Essendon will play Box Hill in a sold out clash at Box Hill on Saturday, September 11 at 11.05am, local time.
Tullamore man Bourke joined Essendon last year, ending a year of speculation about his intentions. One of the brightest prospects in Offaly football, his departure was a big blow to the county but he has made good progress in Essendon, competing in the second tier Victorian Football League – their first team had a very difficult season in the Australian Football League, finishing 18th of the eighteen teams.
Bourke is a centre for them and there is local speculation about whether he will return to feature for Tullamore in the latter stages of the Offaly Senior Football Championship. Tullamore are playing Ballycommon in the quarter-final on Sunday and Bourke certainly won't be featuring in that.
Other exiles have got permission to play with their clubs in Ireland in the past, including Mayo's Kobe McDonald who has been allowed to play with Crossmolina this year. It is uncertain if Bourke will get that permission or if he would take the chance of getting injured and damaging his Australian professional ambitions but at the moment Tullamore are planning without his services.