FOR SOMEONE that came to Australia to try Australian football as a bit of fun, Irishman Pearce Hanley is making a fair fist of things.

After seeing him star in the under-17 International Rules Series in 2006, the Brisbane Lions took a punt and signed Hanley at the end of 2007 to a two-year contract despite him never having played the game before.

Now in his fourth season at the Lions, the 22-year-old is starting to repay the faith.

Last Sunday against Adelaide he had an equal career-high 25 disposals and has averaged 22.75 a contest over the past month.

But it's more than just getting the ball. It's what Hanley is doing with it that's so impressive.

He is ranked second in the AFL in rebound 50s and ninth in running bounces, as his dash from the half-back line has become a feature of the Lions' play.

The Irishman from County Mayo said it was not easy going in the initial stages of his time with the Lions as he struggled to grasp the game and suffered a series of soft tissue injuries.

"I've got the hang of it now. My first year or two I was like a headless chook running around the place, but I'm ok now, settled in and enjoying it," he said.

"In my first two years I was kind of injury prone and the club was good enough to give me another chance and another two years, so I'm kind of repaying them.

"Initially when I came out, I said it'd be a bit of fun, it's an experience and it I don't make it, I'll go home and go back to college, but it's ended up going pretty well."

Hanley started to cement his spot at the tail end of last season, playing the final eight matches, and has continued his streak with the first nine matches this season.

He is still prone to the odd error, including a bungled final quarter clearance against Gold Coast that ended in a match-sealing goal to Liam Patrick, but Hanley said he had learnt to put the mistakes behind him.

"It was a bad mistake, the same thing happened against Adelaide and I'm getting better at minimising those errors," he said.

"And when I do make a mistake, [I'm getting better at] keeping my head up," he said.

"Vossy had a chat to me at half-time and said 'keep going because you're in the team for your run so keep giving us that'.

"You have the whole game ahead of you when you're in defence, and you kind of work off your opponent. I was a forward my whole life back home in Gaelic (football), so it's a bit different not kicking any goals.

"I'm starting to back myself a lot more and teammates have helped me with that because that's what I'm in the team for, to run and carry, so I'm definitely more confident and I think it shows in every game I play."

Hanley will play one of the Irishmen he grew up watching on Saturday night when the Lions host Tadhg Kennelly and the Sydney Swans at the Gabba.

He said there would be at least a few interested spectators watching the match.

"My friends, they're the first people to tell me how many possessions I have because they're all looking it up and the parents are watching every game on the net so they're all enjoying it. They're not missing out," he said.

"Sydney is never easy, they've had it over us the last couple of years. They're a great contested team, we're looking forward to it, we've won our last two and looking for a third win."

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs