Colm Begley has been handed an AFL lifeline after it was confirmed that he will train with Melbourne club Collingwood later this week. The Laois native was recently released by the Brisbane Lions after making 29 appearances for the club, and a huge question mark has hung over his Aussie Rules future ever since. However, he is hoping that his performances for the victorious Irish International Rules team last month will stand to him in his quest to remain an AFL player. Another Laois man, Conor Meredith, along with Antrim's Niall McKeever, Mayo's Tom Parsons and last year's Derry minor star James Kielt, will also look to impress AFL clubs in the weeks ahead after coming to the attention of recruitment agent Ricky Nixon during his summer talent trawl of Ireland. Meredith will trial for a week each with North Melbourne and Richmond, while McKeever will trial for a week each with Richmond and St. Kilda. Both players have already arrived in Australia. Kielt will arrive in a fortnight for trials with North Melbourne and possibly St. Kilda. It has also emerged that Parsons, a member of Ireland's International Rules squad, remained in Melbourne after the series and is due to meet Nixon shortly to discuss the possibility of an AFL career. Tweet

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