Cork footballer Mark Keane will return home to Ireland temporarily after his Australian Football League club Collingwood granted him permission to depart ahead of the end of the AFL season.
The 21 year old had approached the club to seek permission to leave ahead of the 2021 AFL season drawing to a close.
The return to Ireland for Keane means he is potentially available for Mitchelstown's delayed 2020 Cork Intermediate 'A' Football Championship final against Rockchapel which is upcoming on August 21 .
Keane is under contract with Collingwood for the 2022 season and is due to return to Down Under before Christmas as the club will begin its pre-season preparations for the 2022 season.
"Collingwood ticked off on Mark Keane heading back to Ireland last week three rounds before the end of its season," the AFL club's official website stated.
"The defender, whose long-term girlfriend still lives in Ireland, approached the club recently about the possibility of returning home before the end of the home and away season.
"The Magpies approved the move, with Keane to be back in Australia before Christmas for Collingwood's pre-season campaign."
Keane has made four appearances for Collingwood this season after finger surgery kept him out of action for the first two months of the campaign.
Kean also returned to Ireland from Collingwood for a brief spell in 2020 and lined out against Kerry in last year's Munster Senior Football Championship, where he notably scored the last-gasp goal to seal Cork's first championship win over the Kingdom since 2012.
