Ultan Kelm Biography

Ultan Kelm won't join Fremantle this year after the Northern Irish player suffered a hip injury and preferred to remain at home in Ireland during his recovery.

“Unfortunately, Ultan has suffered a recurrence of a hip injury. He is very confident that he will get on top of the injury, however it will take considerable time with his medical team," Dockers' football boss Peter Bell said.

"With our agreement, Ultan would prefer to stay in Northern Ireland and recondition the injury for the time being, as the travel and likelihood of quarantines would only be a hindrance to his rehabilitation.

"We have agreed not to list Ultan as a Category B concession for 2022, however he remains committed to us and when he has recovered, the plan is for him to travel to Perth next year for a trial ahead of a permanent move and Category B listing for 2023."

Irishman Ultan Kelm will join the Dockers as a Category B rookie for the 2022 AFL season.

Kelm has been playing U20 and Senior Inter-County football for County Fermanagh for three years and impressed recruiters at the 2019 AFL Europe Combine in Dublin with a 2.87-second 20m sprint.

"I'm delighted that I finally get the opportunity to join Fremantle. Right from the get-go, the Fremantle recruitment team showed that they were very interested and invested in me and presented the club in a way that made the decision easy," Kelm told Fremantle's club website.

"I've been watching games week in and week out from Ireland over the last two years, where I've developed a real interest and passion for the game. I didn't really follow any team in particular but I usually watch the games that the Irish boys are involved in."