Pierce Hanley
Encyclopedia
Pearce Hanley is an Australian rules football
er playing with the Brisbane Lions
in the Australian Football League
(AFL). He is a former Gaelic football
er who played for Mayo GAA
and Ballaghaderreen Gaelic Athletic Association
clubs.
. Hanley had previously won the Ron Barassi Medal for the best player of the international rules for the Irish U-17 International Rules team against Australia in 2005. It was there that he was first scouted by recruiters from Australia and he was targeted for recruitment by the Brisbane Lions as being a potential AFL player.
with a view of converting him to Australian rules football. At the Lions, he was mentored by fellow Irishman Colm Begley
who had previously played with the club for a season. Hanley made rapid progress and his adaptation to Australian football was almost as rapid as Begley's. He impressed in an early intra-club hit-out and was a solid performer for the Suncoast Lions.
Called up by coach Leigh Matthews
, he made his debut in the final Lions home match in 2008 against the Carlton Football Club
in front of a crowd of 35,000 at the Brisbane Cricket Ground
, ironically replacing Begley in the side. At the end of the 2009 season, Hanley was elevated to the lions senior list.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er playing with the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL). He is a former Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
er who played for Mayo GAA
Mayo GAA
The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...
and Ballaghaderreen Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
clubs.
Gaelic football
Pearce made his senior debut in 2007 against CavanCavan GAA
The Cavan County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Cavan GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Cavan...
. Hanley had previously won the Ron Barassi Medal for the best player of the international rules for the Irish U-17 International Rules team against Australia in 2005. It was there that he was first scouted by recruiters from Australia and he was targeted for recruitment by the Brisbane Lions as being a potential AFL player.
Australian Rules Football
In 2007, Pearce was signed by the Brisbane Lions, and put on the rookie listRookie list
The Rookie List is a means for Australian Football League clubs to maintain additional players outside of the 38-man primary or senior list. Rookie listed players are not eligibile to play in AFL home and away or finals matches unless they are elevated to the senior list, either to replace a...
with a view of converting him to Australian rules football. At the Lions, he was mentored by fellow Irishman Colm Begley
Colm Begley
Colm Begley is a Gaelic footballer from Ireland. He has also played Australian rules football for the St Kilda Football Club and Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League .-Recruitment:...
who had previously played with the club for a season. Hanley made rapid progress and his adaptation to Australian football was almost as rapid as Begley's. He impressed in an early intra-club hit-out and was a solid performer for the Suncoast Lions.
Called up by coach Leigh Matthews
Leigh Matthews
Leigh Raymond "Lethal Leigh" Matthews AM is a former player and coach of Australian rules football. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League from 1969 to 1985, coached Collingwood from 1986–1995, and coached the Brisbane Lions from 1999 to 2008...
, he made his debut in the final Lions home match in 2008 against the Carlton Football Club
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
in front of a crowd of 35,000 at the Brisbane Cricket Ground
Brisbane Cricket Ground
The Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located....
, ironically replacing Begley in the side. At the end of the 2009 season, Hanley was elevated to the lions senior list.