Aisake O hAilpin joins his brother at Melbourne

Aisake Ó hAilpín will be joining his brother Setanta at Melbourne AFL club Carlton. The club's coach Denis Pagan announced at a supporter function on Wednesday night that the decision had already been made despite the rookie list not needing to be finalised until December 14th.

The news will come as a further blow to Cork hurling and the Na Piarsaigh club, which has now lost two prolific young forwards to the Australian Rules game.

Whereas Aisake was not yet a senior intercounty player, his performances as Na Piarsaigh won the Cork county title this autumn would have pushed him into contention for a place in new Cork manager John Allen's panel.

Carlton had recently invited the lanky 19-year-old to train with Setanta, who was promoted from the club's rookie list this year after being drafted last season.

Aisake had said he would have been willing to try out for Carlton again next year, had he failed to be picked up in the 2004 draft. In little over a fortnight the club have been suitably impressed by his potential.

"He's certainly at the right age, three years younger than Setanta and he's certainly at the right height," said Pagan, soon after Aisake had first joined the Blues in training in mid-November.

"He's got to put a bit of weight on and who knows what can happen? He's an elite athlete in his chosen sport at home and he's ready to go on the big stage and it's a real opportunity for us."

When the brothers recently spoke at Optus Oval, they said their decision to relocate to Australia and play AFL football was motivated by a desire to become full-time professional athletes.

Meanwhile, UCD have announced their attention not to take any further the club's controversial defeat by Kilkenny side James Stephens in last weekend's Leinster club hurling final.

"We could have tried a procedural appeal to the GAA Management Committee," said Dave Billings, a member of the team's management and the college GAA development officer. "But we felt that would have been petty. We play by the rules of the GAA and we'll abide by them.

"People are forgetting that the final was a great match and we'd like to wish the players and management of James Stephens all the best in the All-Ireland series. The matter is closed as far as we're concerned."

Kilkenny All-Ireland hurling captain of 1999, Denis Byrne has severed his connections with Tipperary and has transferred back to his native county.

The 30-year-old transferred from his native Graigue-Ballycallan to Mullinahone two years ago.

Byrne also threw in his lot with the Tipperary county team. He was part of the Tipperary panel for the past two years, although he failed to nail down a permanent position on the team.