Aisake Ó hAilpín facts for kids

Aisake Faga Ó hAilpín, born on August 24, 1985, is a talented sportsperson with roots in both Fiji and Ireland. He grew up in Cork, Ireland, where he played traditional Irish sports like hurling and Gaelic football with his local club, Na Piarsaigh. Later, Aisake also played Australian rules football for the Carlton Football Club from 2005 to 2008. After his time in Australia, he returned to Ireland to play hurling at a high level for the Cork senior team. He then signed another contract to play Australian rules football with the Maribyrnong Park Football Club.

Aisake's Sporting Journey

Playing for Na Piarsaigh

Aisake Ó hAilpín played club hurling and Gaelic football with the Na Piarsaigh club in Cork city. He worked hard to improve his skills in both sports.

In 2004, Aisake joined the Na Piarsaigh senior hurling team. That year, his club reached the final of the Cork Senior Hurling Championship. This was a big achievement, as it had been almost ten years since they were last in the final. They played against a strong team called Cloyne. The game was very close at half-time, with Cloyne just ahead. However, Na Piarsaigh played incredibly well in the second half. They won the match 0–17 to 0–10. Aisake was the top scorer in that game, scoring five points. This victory earned him his first and only county championship medal.

Playing for Carlton in Australia

After his club's big win in 2004, Aisake decided to try a new sport. He traveled to Australia to play Australian rules football. He joined the Carlton Football Club in Melbourne, where his brother Setanta also played.

Aisake started on Carlton's "rookie list" for the 2005 AFL season. This meant he was a developing player. He spent 2005 playing in the reserves team for Carlton's partner club, the Northern Bullants. He continued to play for the Bullants in 2006 and 2007, mostly as a "ruckman" (a player who contests the ball in the air). His coaches believed he was close to joining the main senior team. However, in 2007, Aisake got a serious groin injury that ended his season early. Carlton announced that they would move him to the senior list for 2008. Despite this, Aisake did not play any senior games for Carlton. He left the club at the end of the 2008 season and returned to Ireland.

Representing Cork in Hurling

In February 2009, after returning to Ireland, Aisake played in some practice matches for both the Cork football and hurling teams. He decided to focus on hurling for the year. Aisake played in Cork's first championship game against Tipperary, which was a surprise win for Cork. He was even named "man of the match" for his great performance. However, he did not play as well for the rest of that season. At the end of 2010, he announced that he would return to play Australian rules football.

Suburban Australian Rules Football

Aisake Ó hAilpín went back to Melbourne in 2011. Since then, he has played for several different local and country teams. In 2011, he played for Maribyrnong Park. In 2012, he moved to the Montmorency. In 2013, he played for Hillside. Since 2014, he has been playing for Albury in the Ovens & Murray Football League, where he plays alongside his brother Setanta.

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