As expected, Paddy Brophy has returned to the Kildare senior football squad ahead of the Leinster SFC.

Brophy returned to Ireland after spending the last two and a half years in Australia where he had been bidding to become the first international rookie to play in the AFL for West Coast Eagles.

The Celbridge clubman made the decision to try and forge out a career in Aussie Rules in 2014, but didn't manage to feature at that level but had played regularly in the West Australian Football League for East Perth.

Brophy is one of a number of talented young Kildare players that have been tempted to Australia in recent years with Sean Hurley and Daniel Flynn signing for the Fremantle Dockers and Port Adelaide respectively though both have since returned to Ireland.

The 23-year-old forward has returned to the Kildare football team, which he broke into in 2013 as a teenager. He scored a goal against Dublin in that year's Leinster semi-final.

Meanwhile, Ben McCormack is set to be sidelined for up to 12 weeks after he underwent surgery earlier this week.

Kildare begin their Leinster SFC campaign with a clash against Laois at O'Connor Park, Tullamore on Sunday, June 4th.

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