International Rookie Niall McKeever is certainly no stranger to his newly adopted football code.

After closely following the AFL careers of fellow Irishmen Tadgh Kennelly and Martin Clarke, the 20 year-old from Portglenone quickly became an avid football fan and regularly watched the weekly wrap of AFL action which screened in his hometown on Saturday mornings.

McKeever grew to support the Brisbane Lions after hearing relayed stories of the exciting Gabba atmosphere from his brother who occasionally made the trip up the Pacific Highway to watch Lions matches while temporarily living on the Gold Coast.

His dreams of one day joining the Lions were realised back in June when Football Manager Graeme Allan signed McKeever to a two-year International Rookie contract following a mid-season recruiting trip to the Emerald Isle.

The 198cm speedster had been firmly on the radar of a number of AFL clubs after trialling briefly with Richmond in November of 2008.

In 2009 McKeever became a major driving force behind Antrim’s charge at an Ulster Championship in the local Gaelic league. The tiny North Ireland county went all the way to an Ulster final for the first time in decades before ultimately going down to powerhouse Tyronne.

He joined his new Lions team-mates - including fellow Irishman Pearce Hanley - at the commencement of the Club’s pre-season training campaign in November and is now relishing the opportunity to train as full-time professional athlete.

“I really want to challenge myself as a professional sportsman,” McKeever said.

“I am just delighted. It is such a great opportunity for me to sign with an illustrious club like the Brisbane Lions.”

McKeever believes the intensity of training experienced in the Gaelic league has adequately prepared him for the gruelling AFL pre-season campaign, although the frequency of sessions and Queensland heat are proving a challenge.

“The sessions here are tough, there is no doubt about that, but I haven’t found them to be beyond me. It’s just backing up day after day that is taking time to get used to,” he said.

In between training sessions, McKeever has spent considerable time developing his skills and analysing the game’s tactics by studying DVDs of past Lions matches.

“AFL is a far more tactical game than I thought,” he said. “There is so much I still have to learn, but I just want to tear in and give it a go.”