Five-time All-Ireland winner Michael Darragh MacAuley has become the latest GAA star to join Basketball Ireland Men's Super League.  

MacAuley makes his debut in the top tier league with Rathfarnham side Eanna this Thursday night when they take on UCD Marian at the UCD Sports Centre in Belfield.

The Ballyboden St Enda's midfielder has played with Eanna in the past but this week is set to mark his debut in the Super League - the top tier of basketball in Ireland.

The former Footballer of the Year will be joining fellow GAA star Kieran Donaghy (Tralee) in the Super League, with the two set to clash after Christmas, but there'll be no renewed Dublin-Mayo rivalry as Aidan O'Shea's Sligo All-Stars are situated a tier below in Men's Division One.

"I've played basketball since I was very young and it was always a really big part of my life until I was 17 or 18 and then football kind of took over," MacAuley stated.

"I've always played whenever it's the off season with football - that has been my up season for basketball and this season isn't any different. Playing basketball has hugely benefitted me for both sports.

"There's loads of players in the GAA who play basketball and it's helped them tremendously and vice versa. It's been a huge attribute to my Gaelic football game.

"Eanna is going from strength to strength at the moment. And we are looking forward to the game against UCD this Thursday."

A knee injury in the early part of the summer saw MacAuley's appearances for Dublin limited in this year's championship. While he was introduced as a 57th minute substitute against Monaghan in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, he missed out entirely on the wins over Tyrone and Mayo in the semi-finals and final respectively.

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