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Mayo’s greatest export, Kobe McDonald, could be in line for a big pay day Down Under

04/08/2026
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‘As featured in the Sunday Independent’

Kevin Moore, Legacy Communications

With an All-Ireland victory behind him, the 18-year-old is heading to Australia to try his hand at Aussie Rules, where top players earn $1m.

Kobe McDonald celebrates in front of Hill 16 following victory in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final  © Sportsfile

The dust has settled on one of the GAA’s greatest days, the after party has subsided and Mayo fans have returned to normality with an extra spring in their step.

After a 75-year wait, this special bunch of Mayo footballers finally delivered an All-Ireland title to their county. Next season, they will attempt to defend the Sam Maguire Cup — but they will do it without their 18-year-old star forward, Kobe McDonald.

In the coming weeks, McDonald will depart for Australia to start a professional career with Aussie Rules outfit St Kilda. It is bittersweet for Mayo fans, who — no doubt thankful for his impressive contribution to winning the All-Ireland title — will be left feeling the loss of such a promising talent.

It is an incredible opportunity for the Crossmolina youngster. Finishing his Leaving Cert in June, winning the Sam Maguire in July and starting his professional sporting apprenticeship in Australia in August is a dream summer.

His rookie contract in Melbourne will reportedly net him an annual wage in the region of €35,000 — not bad for an 18-year-old. The average player salary in the Australian Football League (AFL) is now about $506,000 (€308,000), so plenty to aim for should Kobe make it big Down Under.

It is likely that well-established Irish success stories in the AFL — people like Conor Nash, Mark O’Connor and Zach Tuohy — have earned well in excess of this in some seasons. The very top Australian players are reported to earn well over $1m.

But that is a very difficult mountain to climb. For now, McDonald leaves behind his GAA career and, with it, based on the heights he has recently scaled, arguably a more attainable potential earning power. For most GAA players, this earning power is limited, but there is something special about Kobe.

Son of Mayo footballing legend Ciarán McDonald, and named after basketball great Kobe Bryant, the forward seems destined for stardom.

Ciarán McDonald on the attack for Mayo during the 2006 championship © Sportsfile

Part of a special crop of minors that have risen through the Mayo ranks, McDonald was one of the young guns that added the firepower needed to help Mayo achieve something that previous generations couldn’t. His style and star presence — as well, of course, as his football ability — have made him a household name overnight.

He has the x-factor — an aura that makes the public feel like they know him already. And, like a top Brazilian footballer, he is known by only one name: Kobe.

This concoction is unique and makes McDonald a hot commodity. The GAA has built a very impressive suite of commercial sponsors and there is no doubt that, if he was not going to Australia, there would be a long queue of brands competing to sign him as their next ambassador.

It would be no surprise either if the Mayo faithful came together in some way to tempt him to stay in Ireland.

With the right guidance and management, a handful of the very top GAA stars can carve out a combination of sponsorship and commercial activity that, in good years, can generate a reward of around €100,000 or so. But it is only a handful.

Comparisons have already been drawn between McDonald and some of the game’s recent stars — from David Clifford to Bernard Brogan — who have had the ability to capitalise commercially on their success. However, it is still very early for McDonald and, whether in Aussie rules or Gaelic football, earning power takes time. It is also generally only achieved by sustained greatness on the field.

Brogan (42) was arguably one of the first to fully maximise his GAA stardom from a commercial point of view. He was the sharpshooter for Dublin’s golden generation, with 452 points in a 14-year career, making him Dublin’s third top-scorer of all time. With seven All-Irelands under his belt, he was the main player that brands sought out as Dublin’s historic six-in-a-row brought the game to new heights.

Like Brian O’Driscoll in rugby, Brogan was smart in how he operated commercially, moving from one-off gigs to a more sustained model of longer-term partnerships with brands like Adidas, AIG and SuperValu. His broad national appeal meant mainstream television adverts followed, significantly increasing earnings. A bestselling autobiography book-ended his career nicely. The commercial blueprint was set.

In many people’s eyes, Kerry’s David Clifford is fast heading towards greatest-of-all-time territory in Gaelic football. At 27, Clifford has two All-Ireland senior titles, six All-Star awards, and a record three GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year awards.

He initially appeared more hesitant to engage with brands. However, in 2020, he took on the SuperValu mantle and started to adopt a longer-term partner model with sponsors. Then, in 2025, he launched a lucrative signature clothing line with McKeever Sports, becoming the first inter-county Gaelic footballer with a dedicated, co-branded signature collection.

Brogan was 27 when he won his first All-Ireland. Clifford was 23. McDonald is significantly ahead of both in this regard, capturing the Sam Maguire Cup at just 18.

His father was one of the most naturally gifted footballers in the country in the 2000s, and his deliberate absence from the public eye created a mystique and cult status around him. But that also meant he generally didn’t pursue commercial activity.

Interviews and celebrations after the All-Ireland gave some insight into which way McDonald may go. His openness and natural ability to communicate with the media at such a young age suggests he could follow the Brogan and Clifford brand model.

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