Sheehan goes down under

The éire óg man agreed to play for Carlton last year but later changed his mind on a move down under after suffering from homesickness during a four-week stint at the club.

The Blues' general manager of football operations, Steven Icke, believes Sheehan's All-Ireland SFC success, when defeating Down in the final, has probably played a big part in his decision to commit to the Melbourne based club.

"I think that's part of it. It's a box ticked I suppose ... to have won an All-Ireland medal as an 19-year-old is a great achievement," Icke said.

The Cork man, who just turned 20 two weeks ago, is not expected for duty at the Melbourne club until mid-October and remains committed to Cork's title defence for the coming year.

TRAINING CAMP

"He had surgery post season which means he's not able to train until Christmas anyway. Then Cork are going on a holiday training camp to South Africa in January which he really wants to go on," continued Icke.

"As well as that he's in the second year of a sports marketing course so he'd like to finish next year's term. He wants to be able to have a career outside football which is important."

This year Sheehan added an All-Ireland senior and Division 1 league medal to his impressive CV, which also includes a Munster minor championship medal in both hurling and football as well as Munster and All-Ireland medals at the under-21 grade.

Sheehan will be the Blues' third Irish recruit and their second from Cork as he joins rookie Zach Tuohy from Laois and former hurler Setanta ó hAilpín.