Cian McBride Biography

The Bombers delist Alastair Lord, Rhett Montgomerie and Cian McBride.

Six players in Ireland will return to Australia this weekend to resume their AFL careers after winning visa approval to re-enter the country.

Collingwood pair Mark Keane and Anton Tohill, Essendon duo Cian McBride and Ross McQuillan, Brisbane's James Madden, and Greater Western Sydney's Callum Brown are all set to jet back to Australia on Saturday.

The group headed back to Ireland once the AFL announced its shutdown plans in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Conor McKenna and his Bombers teammates Ross McQuillan and Cian McBride, as well as Magpies duo Anton Tohill and Mark Keane, and Giants youngster Callum Brown, are among a handful of players who have either returned to Ireland or are expected to imminently as the COVID-19 crisis continues to accelerate worldwide.

Essendon signs Cian McBride for two years as an international rookie.

McBride, 18, spent his junior years playing Gaelic football but made the switch to Australian Football at the beginning of this year, impressing at the NAB AFL Draft Combine and AFL Europe training sessions.

"Cian has continued to impress us, showing great athleticism for his height, recording a six-minute and 17-second 2km time trial. He also recorded 2.99 seconds for his 20-metre sprint," Essendon list manager Adrian Dodoro said.

"He has adapted well to Australian Football, showing rapid improvement at the AFL Europe training sessions in June this year. We look forward to seeing what he can achieve in the red and black over the next two years."