RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Teenager Kobe McDonald played a key role as Mayo ended their 75-year wait to win the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship [Getty Images]
All-Ireland winner Kobe McDonald will return to Gaelic football for Crossmolina in the Mayo Senior Football Championship after being granted permission by AFL side St Kilda.
St Kilda had previously allowed the 18-year-old to play for Mayo as they ended their 75-year wait to win the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in July.
McDonald, who only made his Mayo debut in February, played a key role in the final win over Kerry, and was set to move to Melbourne to start his Aussie Rules career following that success.
But with St Kilda's season over and pre-season in the AFL not starting until November, McDonald, Eamonn Armstrong and Liam O'Connell have been granted permission to return to their club sides for their respective championships.
Armstrong plays for Duleek Bellewstown in the Meath championship, while O'Connell, who featured 13 times for St Kilda's in the AFL last season, is set to line out for Ballincollig in the Cork SFC.
McDonald has been in Ireland over the past number of weeks, and was pictured with the Mayo squad on stage with the Saw Doctors at the Electric Picnic festival in Laois on Sunday.
Lenny Hayes, St Kilda's general manager of football, said the trio had "expressed a desire" to play for their clubs.
"As a club, it's really important that we support our players in their lives outside of being professional AFL footballers," Hayes told the Irish Examiner.
"We understand how much home means to each of these boys, and we didn't want to stand in the way of this opportunity to represent the communities and clubs they come from.
"The opportunity to play should only benefit their aerobic conditioning, and we look forward to welcoming them back in November for the first day of pre-season."
McDonald and the Mayo All-Ireland winning squad were on stage at the Saw Doctors at the Electric Picnic festival [Getty Images]
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