World Footy News

There has been an unprecedented amount of activity by AFL clubs in regards to Ireland and young Irish players in recent weeks. While Ricky Nixon has been in Ireland, meeting with the GAA and setting up his recruiting program, Gerard Sholly has been upsetting many in the GAA for using their facility at Kingspan Breffni Park to try out a few young potential recruits for the Carlton Blues and the Brisbane Lions are looking to add to their Irish stable. Also making moves are the Adelaide Crows, with two youngsters heading down for a trial in August. With Colm Begley and Pearce Hanley already on their list (both are currently injured and Hanley is yet to make his senior AFL debut), the Lions' latest guest from Eire is Conor Meredith who is having a run around with the club to give both parties a chance to size up the possibility of Meredith joining their list. It is suggested that Brisbane have been very quiet in bringing in the Irish young gun but we wonder if the Sydney Swans (with their own Irish duo of Tadgh Kennelly and Brendan Murphy) have had Kyle Coney out to trial in June as suggested early in the year? If they have it has slipped under the media radar. The other club with an Irish contingent – Carlton, reportedly offered Donegal’s Michael Murphy a trial in June at the completion of his studies but again no reports have appeared in the Australian or Irish media.

In further news, the Hogan Stand reports that County Louth (the "Wee County" since it's the smallest) U21 player Brian Donnelly has been offered the chance to trial with Adelaide, this coming on top of the expected testing in August of countryman Carl Dias.

Some of the reports about contract signings of Irish talent prior to draft recently have appeared from a distance somewhat underhanded and possibly against draft rules. The AFL now looks to want to clean things up in that area. There have been various rumours going around the last couple of years about down payments being made to secure the first option services of young Gaelic footballers by AFL clubs and recently the AFL reminded clubs that any agreements must by lodged in accordance with the AFL Player Rules. An amnesty for clubs to lodge details of agreements back to 2001 recently closed on June 27th. Any future “secret” contracts could see clubs fined up to $100,000 and loss of draft picks for conduct prejudicial to the AFL draft.

While the AFL is trying to make sure all dealings are above board, the GAA is trying to keep a calm head amongst harsh criticism of their relationship with the AFL from a number of club and county representatives throughout Ireland. Not for the first time when young Irish footballers have been connected with AFL clubs they have called for the GAA to cut ties and scrap the International rules series. The response from GAA president Nickey Brennan has so far rejected those suggestions saying "If we had no relationship with the AFL, in other words if there was no International Rules Series, what would happen then is that we are out of the equation. We simply have no hand, act nor part [in anything],” on Newstalk's Lunchtime programme. "These young lads that are considering travelling, we’ve no control over them per se, it is ultimately a decision for themselves and their families. But if we have a relationship with the AFL we can….And this is my hope - that we can put some controls in place whereby clubs are obliged, under the auspices of the AFL, to adhere to certain standards of conduct in relation to how they deal with these young men and with how they look after them during their time in Australia."

Ricky Nixon’s visit to Ireland has included meetings with the GAA, potential draftees and their families. He is still to make a final presentation to the GAA to officially gain their blessing for what he has planned. We wonder how they will receive the details if of the Irish link with Western Sydney and the numbers Nixon would need to fulfil the players required for that as well as the other AFL clubs that are currently signed up to his scouting program? Initially the claim by BBC Championship pundit and ex-Donegal star Martin McHugh that "We haven't come across this before and we're looking at between 50 to 100 players going Down Under…" seemed like an exaggerated claim but that may indeed be the amount of players required by the combined AFL clubs and a Western Sydney startup. Perhaps McHugh and others in Ireland have had the plan laid out before them as well.

Today’s story in The Age about the potential bid for the Western Sydney licence for an Irish linked club is not a new idea. As the article points out the original proposal was put to the AFL in January 2007. And the current incarnation while indicated to be as a result of the response Ricky Nixon has received in Ireland on his current visit is almost certainly not the case. On May 25th in Craig Hutchison’s Sunday Herald Sun column he wrote “the cashed up GAA could also play a role like Southport has done with the Gold Coast in underpinning the project – not to mention TV rights back to Ireland.” The article also mentioned qualified support for the plan from Jim Stynes and that the AFL and GAA denied that there was any Irish involvement in the proposed team, but that “Privately it has been a discussion point in AFL corridors”, he even finished the article with the question “Would the West Sydney Celtics work?”

Now it seems that at least the AFL is talking publicly about it, or at least Mike Fitzpatrick is. And the idea is on the table (even if it is only one of many). But it seems that the GAA is not involved (although not confirmed at this stage) through its administration but more likely the Gaelic Players Association. The body that fights for players' rights in the Gaelic code is not always the most popular organisation but certainly carries a certain amount of clout and would have the ability to assist in harnessing Irish talent. Of course if such a plan were to come off and this seed of an idea was to blossom into reality it could be the straw that broke the amateurs back and cause the Gaelic game to go professional potentially scuppering the whole plan by removing the incentive for the Irish players to make the switch. Again if it was all to come off it would change the whole standing of our game of one that is purely Australian to something altogether different. It would certainly increase interest in Ireland and dramatically increase a growing following of our game there. While from outside it seems there has not been a great deal of newcomers to the ARFLI despite the increased media attention that the game is receiving in Ireland, an AFL team dominated by Irish players would have to bring more young players to try their hand at our game domestically in Ireland.

We will leave the final comment for now to Irishman Zac Tuohy who has been linked with Carlton Football Club who reportedly said last year "I think if any young fella was given the opportunity to be a professional footballer, they'd swim to Australia."

The nine Irishmen currently on AFL lists can be seen in our International Players page.