Alarm Bell’s Ringing for the GAA

News is spreading across the world at the moment after Ricky Nixon outlined his plans for a recruiter to be placed in each of Ireland’s 32 counties reporting to a national co-ordinator. Under his plan the young players, aged from 14 to 20, would be identified and their information placed on a central database that clubs could access for an annual fee of about $30,000. We all know that the games of Gaelic Football and Australian Rules Football in quite similar and the Irish tend to pick the game up quite quickly this is why the clubs are so keen on joining the recruiting network. And it looks as if they are queing up to fork out the $30,000.

It is already raising concerns in Ireland and it looks as if the GAA will need to act fast in order to protect losing the up and coming youngsters from their country. The Irish Newspaper the Intependant IE ran a story on it and mentioned that it is bound to cause concern for the GAA. Probably the most well known Irish export, Jim Stynes has weighed in on the situation:

“I know a lot of clubs are cashed up. This could do a lot of damage to Gaelic football in general,” he said.

“It’s a recipe for disaster with people (AFL recruiters) falling over themselves in Ireland.”

I just wonder know if the GAA and especially the Dublin County will still be so keen on the exercise that Eddie and the Collingwood Football Club are trying to tee up. Our Clubs are salivating at the thought of unearthing another player of similar quality to Marty Clarke (pictured above) or Tadhg Kennelly and it seems everyone wants a piece of the pie.

But I don’t think the GAA and the Gaelic Clubs are not going to take this all that favourably. With relationships already under strain this will not be helping the cause. Especially in terms of ressurecting the International Rules Series.