From Ballyboden to Brisbane. The rise of Dublin star James Madden.
From Ballyboden to Brisbane. The rise of Dublin star James Madden. By Steven Kelly. James Madden has had a fairly busy couple of years. The former Ballyboden and Dublin starlet now plays his trade in the AFL, with the Brisbane Lions. Madden was a promising dual star from an early age and admits the journey has been a hard but rewarding one. The 21-year-old is a sporty and family-orientated guy. “I suppose where it started for me was back in Dublin. I have a fairly close-knit family. My parents are from Mayo and Westmeath and my stepmom is from Tipperary. I am very close to my cousins too. I would classify myself as being equally rural as urban, in that I spent many summers away on farms, with my family. I went to primary and secondary school in St Colmcilles and I actually loved school. I started playing GAA at a very young age and I suppose I decided on football because I felt there were more opportunities there for me. Dublin were doing well as I was growing up, so, unfortunat...