Brendan Quigley (2006)

[Grimreepah]

International rookie

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/4122/brendanquigley.jpg

Born: January 19, 1986
Playing Height: 193cm
Playing Weight: 87kg

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/53964/default.aspx) ....

Quigley was an international rookie with the Brisbane Lions in 2006 and returned to Ireland after only a few months because of homesickness.

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/4122/brendanquigley.jpg

[Grimreepah]

Two players feel the call of down-under (http://www.longfordlive.com/_news/article.asp?NID=88700&NCID=13)
Tuesday, 1st November 2005

Mick O'Dwyer is in danger of losing two of his star players after offers from The AFL club Brisbane Lions. Colm Begley and Brendan Quigley, both aged nineteen, have been offered two-year contracts by the Australian club and the word is that they are favourably considering the offers. A total of four Laois players underwent trials, the others being Daithi Carroll and Cathal Óg Greene who were not offered contracts. Both Begley and Quigley played on the Irish U-17 team in Australia two years ago, with the latter earning the title of player of the series while Begley was man of the match three times.

[Grimreepah]

Laois starlets head Down Under (http://www.rte.ie/sport/2005/1026/aussierules.html)
Wednesday, 26 October 2005 12:22

Laois youngsters Colm Begley and Brendan Quigley have both signed two-year rookie contracts with Aussie Rules club the Brisbane Lions.

The teenage duo stood out at trials recently staged by Lions manager Graeme Allan in Limerick and are to link up with the three-time AFL Premiership champions late next month.

Both All-Ireland minor winners with Laois in 2003 and frontliners for Ireland's Under-17 International Rules team in recent series, Begley and Quigley will make it five Irish players currently plying their trade Down Under.

Quigley, a second year carpentry apprentice, is a strong-running midfielder from the Timahoe club and is ideally built for Aussie Rules at 6ft 4in.

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20051227222151959) ....

The other bone of contention is the continued drafting of Gaelic footballers (and hurlers in the case of Setanta O'hAilpin) to AFL clubs. Some in the GAA are far from happy with recruiting clinics like the recent one run by the Brisbane Lions, that took two talented young County Laois players, Colm Begley and Brendan Quigley to their rookie list. Again according to hoganstand.com, the GAA plans to put a proposal to the AFL that Gaelic footballers not be recruited to rookie lists, but only to senior AFL lists. This would mean taking more established Gaelic footballers and diminish the sense in Ireland of the talented next generation being taken.

[Grimreepah]

Brendan Quigley (http://gaaweb.sitesuite.cn/plugins/newsfeed.cgi?rm=content&plugin_data_id=9573)

Timahoe clubman Quigley added: "I have two years to prove myself. A lot can happen in two years and hopefully we'll be listed (as seniors).

"At home, I have to get up and be at work as an apprentice carpenter. Here, I get up in the morning and be a professional footballer. It's good to be training all day and get the best out of yourself. Even if I don't make it here, I'd only be 21 when I go home, a win-win situation. I get to go home for Christmas, and for eight weeks after the season."

[Grimreepah]

Quigley hungry for AFL success (http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/19166/default.aspx)
12:00 AM Mon 16 Jan, 2006

Quigley and his compatriot Colm Begley joined the Lions as international rookies in November. Since then, the pair have been working on adjusting to the rigours of life in the AFL system.

"It's so different at home. Diets and everything like that, I've never seen anything like it," Quigley explained.

"When I was at home, I just used to eat whatever, whenever. But here I have to keep a record of everything I eat.

"Back home it was only three training sessions in a week and maybe a match. Over here you have three training sessions in two days. It's a different world over here."

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/4122/brendanquigley.jpg

[Grimreepah]

Aussie legend backs Begley and Quigley (http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Football%3A+LIONS+ARE+ALL+OVER+THE+CLUB%3B+GAA+DOWN+UNDER%3A +TEENS+HAVING+A...-a0140636482)

Matthews, not one to be swayed, revealed: "They have been very impressive young men. They're very enthusiastic, lively and energetic - they've really been a joy to have around the place.

"You're not going to go to the other side of the world if you're a wallflower.

"Unless you have a little bit of go in you, you're not going to do this.

"They've started a long process. Some of the characteristics of Gaelic footy are there, which is why Stynes, Wight and Kennelly have embarked on the same path.

"It's a long path, they know it and we know it."

[Grimreepah]

Quigley going nowhere (http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=56227)
03 February 2006

Former Laois star Brendan Quigley won’t be chucking in his fledgling Aussie Rules career, his club Down Under has insisted.

Brisbane Lions spokesperson, Simon White, says the player - sharing a house with countymate Colm Begley - has no intention of returning back to Ireland in the short-term at least.

"Brendan and Colm are working hard in pre-season training and have fitted in really well into the Brisbane Lions set-up," White claimed.

"They moved into a shared house last week and have no plans to leave."

[Grimreepah]

Return from Oz; Quigley packs Lions in for Laois comeback (http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-9485462/Return-from-Oz-Quigley-packs.html)
The Daily Mail (London, England)
14-FEB-06

RISING Laois football star Brendan Quigley has cut short his Australian Rules adventure by quitting the Brisbane Lions.

The Timahoe teenager was one of two Laois lads that joined the Brisbane outfit on two year International Rookie contracts last November.

But while his close friend Colm Begley continues to push hard for a senior breakthrough Quigley opted to cash in his chips.

He left the Queensland capital last Thursday for good and joined up immediately with Sean Dempsey's U-21 Laois panel in advance of the upcoming Leinster championship.

Link (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article625316.ece)

When Begley had arrived in Brisbane the previous November, he had Brendan Quigley for company. They lived with a family in the suburbs. They drove around town and got lost enough times to fathom the place out in a few weeks. Begley sensed Quigley was looking forward to going home at Christmas. When they returned, Quigley’s heart was still at home. By then, they had arranged to move into an apartment with Brisbane player Luke Forsyth but when Quigley packed his bags he headed home to Laois instead.

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.laoistalk.com/news/?p=1390) ....

It helped that Begley wasn’t journeying alone. Fellow Laois starlet at the time, Brendan Quigley, had also been courted by the Lions. However, his Australian adventure, blighted by injury and homesickness, was short-lived. Where Begley kept thoughts of home at bay by keeping busy at the gym and lifting extra weights, a collarbone injury denied Quigley similar release and he returned shortly after to Timahoe and Laois, picking up where he left off as one of the county’s brightest prospects.

[Grimreepah]

Link (http://www.midlandsradio.fm/news_detail.aspx?news_id=1891) ....

Begley's clubmate Brendan Quigley left Brisbane last week saying he missed drinking cider with his mates.

[Seldom Seen Kid]

Very interesting Grim.

I suppose reading back over some of those articles it really highlights how impressive Hanley's rise has been. Injuries are obviously a killer for any player trying to make his AFL name, even more so when you're only learning the game in a foreign country. Homesickness can really kick in and the temptation is always there to pack it in like Quigley did. For Hanley to overcome his injuries, staph and all of that to get to where he is now shows what a special player he is.

For information, Quigley is playing some very good Gaelic Football at the moment for both club and county. He's an absolute monster of a man, and not dissimilar to McKeever in style and athletic ability.

[Mr Ripper]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4116/4930727007_76bbf041b0_d.jpg

This was taken mid-January, not too long before Quigley exited. The vacant look on his dial was a dead give away that he wasn't happy with things.