This Will Upset the Irish !!
I was just reading that GUN Irish youngster will be coming down to Australia to train with St Kilda Football Club later this month as he considers a possible move to AFL Football. THis kid was named the Gaelic Athletic Association’s young footballer of the year last month and there is no doubt that this will strin the relationship between the AFL and the Irish.
Who is behind all this? Ricky Nixon of course, as part of his Irish Talent Spotting program that has caused a bit of angst in Ireland. Walsh played in the All-Ireland Final last year with Kerry and is being described as a Wayne Carey type (on the field I hope). It will be interesting to see the reaction from the Irish on this one.
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I recently had an Irish blogger and Gaelic football fan right on my blog and he did raise the issue of us Aussies pinching their best players.
>>There is tension about the players being scouted by guys from Oz. They jingle jangle coins and folk worry that they weaken our county teams.<<
http://www.kick2kick.net/afl/an-insight-into-gaelic-football
I noted recently on aussierulesblog that there are few logical skill connections between the Irish and Australian games.
The real success stories of Irish transplants to AFL are few (Stynes and Kennelly) with a mix of also rans at the margins.
It’s one thing for this kid to look like Carey in a non-contact sport, but quite another for him to translate into the physical environment of AFL and be able to carry that swagger.
Stynes and Kennelly aside, I think the peculiarities of AFL mean it’ll be very difficult for international recruits to successfully adapt.
Not all Gaelic footballers are candidates for AFL, but those at the top of their game with an ability to adapt will naturally be sought by AFL clubs looking for an extra advantage.
Some of the very top football players of any code can change codes (even look at Sav Rocca’s success in American Football).
THE GAA is an amateur league, just as Rugby Union was globally up until the late 80′s. Rugby League used to pinch the top Rugby Union players and could offer them big money. That’s all changes now and if the GAA become professional, they have removed one glaring advantage for their players to go to the AFL.