Mayo lads re: Tom Parsons

[orangeman]

I don't think he'll make it at AFL to be honest, what position would he play?

You're right  - I don't think he'd fit in either - a great GAA player doesn't make a great AFL player.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Read towards the bottom of the article, phew!

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2008/1112/1226408554381.html

Walsh latest star to get trial in Australia
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THE CELEBRATORY tone which greeted Jack O'Connor's return to Kerry football management went a little out of tune yesterday with the news that the county's most promising footballer Tommy Walsh may end up pursuing a career with the Australian Football League.

The 19-year-old Young Footballer of the Year is unquestionably one of Kerry's most exciting talents in years, and yet along with fellow young team-mate David Moran, Walsh has decided to take up a one-week trial with Melbourne-based outfit St Kilda, possibly leading to the offer of a contract for next year.

Both players will travel to Australia in a fortnight's time, with Walsh due to line out for Kerins O'Rahilly's in this Sunday's Kerry county final, also under O'Connor, although club chairman Seán Kissane was last night aghast at the prospect of the game losing another of its most exciting young stars.

"I'm sick of it, to be honest," said Kissane, "the way these young footballers are being treated. You bring them through from the age of 12 or 13 and then they're taken away. But at the same you can't blame the player, and I wish Tommy all the best with whatever he decides to do, but I just wonder where it will all stop."

The offer has come through Australian sports agent Ricky Nixon, who staged the AFL camp in Ireland last August, and speaking on Australian radio, Nixon seemed quite aware the impact of Walsh's potential move: "It probably won't make people in Ireland too happy, but he's coming out," Nixon told Melbourne's SEN radio. "I can't tell you if he'll want to play or stay or if he'll be good enough but he's definitely one of the best talents that I've seen."

Nixon described Walsh as an athletic power forward "in the mould of a Wayne Carey", the AFL star, adding that: "We pulled off a pretty big coup . . . he's previously resisted every attempt to get him out here."

Nixon's programme has already resulted in several other Irish youngsters currently training with AFL clubs, with Conor Meredith of Laois and Niall McKeever of Antrim currently with Richmond. James Kielt of Derry is also set to train with both Kangaroos and St Kilda in coming weeks.

However, Mayo's young talent Tom Parsons, who was part of the Irish team on the International Rules tour to Australia, was also linked with a potential trial in Australia, but which he completely denied yesterday with an obvious sense of bemusement.

"There were some reports in the papers yesterday saying I had actually stayed down in Australia for an extra week in order to try out with a AFL club," said Parsons, a student of civil engineering at Sligo IT. "In fact I was walking down the street today when someone passed me and said, 'I though you were in Australia?'

"I don't know where it came from, but it's absolute total rubbish. I never talked with any club, any agent, nor did I want to. I went to Australia to do my best from Ireland, but I was always intent on coming back, and it never even crossed my mind that I may try out in the AFL.

"All I was thinking about was getting back with Mayo next year, and I've already started into the pre-season weights programme."
Meanwhile, the GAA announced that Seán Ó Laoire is to retire from the position of Bainisteoir na gCluichí at the end of the year, ending one of the longest serving terms within the GAA with over 40 years dedicated service.

© 2008 The Irish Times

[Tubberman]

Thank God for that!! Wherever that story emerged from, it's good to know Tom had no interest in looking for an AFL contract. That's the end of that story.

Sligonian will be bitterly disappointed I'm sure..... 

[thebandit]

I dont think he'd be suited, he didn't play at all well in the Inernational Rules.

[joemamas]

Thank God for that!! Wherever that story emerged from, it's good to know Tom had no interest in looking for an AFL contract. That's the end of that story.

Sligonian will be bitterly disappointed I'm sure..... 

Tubberman, you went a little overboard your self with your earlier comments.

Sligonian if you had an ounce of class/credability you would retract your earlier comment.

[Tubberman]

Tubberman, you went a little overboard your self with your earlier comments.

Sligonian if you had an ounce of class/credability you would retract your earlier comment.

I went overboard with my earlier comments?? Which comment? I think I know what you're getting at but I was directly quoting this article http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5299&Itemid=39

"I'm happy with how I'm going at home. I've two years done in college and another two to do. I love Mayo football, I love Charlestown football. To be honest, I don't think I'd have any interest in coming over. I haven't even thought about it. Nobody said anything about playing, you would have had to have a good series for that to happen."

I wasn't having a go at Parsons. I quoted the above to show that it seemed very strange that he'd still be in Oz looking for an AFL contract based on what he had said.

[SLIGONIAN]

Thank God for that!! Wherever that story emerged from, it's good to know Tom had no interest in looking for an AFL contract. That's the end of that story.

Sligonian will be bitterly disappointed I'm sure..... 

Tubberman, you went a little overboard your self with your earlier comments.

Sligonian if you had an ounce of class/credability you would retract your earlier comment.

If Mayo had an ounce of class theyd be happy with there 51 to our 26 clubs and leave players from across the border alone. He is inside the sligo border after all. You'll be waiting a long time to see a retraction from me in fact i wrote a way more agressive reply which would of pissed yee off big time but decided against it. Yer actions, arrogance and smugness make it very easy to shout against yee in all irelands very easy. Have a long look at yereselves for a change instead of judging me, parsons is no declan browne now is he joemanas?. Do you expect me not to angry and pissed off about parsons ffs? All I did was called his loyalty into question, was he loyal to sligo after as a youngster wearing the Sligo jerseys to games supporting Sligo with his Dad?

Theres no smoke without fire and like ronaldo in the summer parsons did his best to get a AFL contract but looks like he may have been unsuccessful sadly and now its being spun to make him look better now that he maybe staying, stayed on for a holiday and met a AFL agent for the craic .

[Tubberman]

Theres no smoke without fire and like ronaldo in the summer parsons did his best to get a AFL contract but looks like he may have been unsuccessful sadly and now its being spun to make him look better now that he maybe staying, stayed on for a holiday and met a AFL agent for the craic .

He didn't stay on in Australia, he came back with the rest of the squad

[MacDanger]

Read this in the indo yesterday alright.

would have been a huge loss to Mayo football.

Apparently D Moran and T Walsh are going down under for trials.

Anyone else put a lot of this blame on N Brennan?

[Rossfan]

Anyone else put a lot of this blame on N Brennan?

Ehhhh?
Did he start the rumour about Parsons or what the hell are ya on about?

[stephenite]

Cheers to my contact who swore he 'saw' Parsons in Melbourne on Tuesday - ****

[imtommygunn]

Yeah why blame Nicky Brennan when they're poaching players who weren't even in Australia?

Maybe yes you could say he gave them the shop window but the boy's they're looking at weren't taken from that shop window.

How many players who have went to Oz have played in the international rules? (prior to going to oz?)

Sligonian from the outside looking in you come across as a very bitter man...

[stephenite]

If Mayo had an ounce of class theyd be happy with there 51 to our 26 clubs and leave players from across the border alone. He is inside the sligo border after all.

You're not the brightest really, are you? How many times does it have to be explained to you that not one person from Mayo approached Parsons as a 10 year old to come and play in 'Mayo'

It was entirely off the family's own bat - they chose for him to play for a Mayo club, for reasons best known to themselves.

Now would you ever shut your f**king mouth and stop embarrassing yourself - you're ruining a great discussion board.

[moysider]

Thank God for that!! Wherever that story emerged from, it's good to know Tom had no interest in looking for an AFL contract. That's the end of that story.

Sligonian will be bitterly disappointed I'm sure..... 

Tubberman, you went a little overboard your self with your earlier comments.

Sligonian if you had an ounce of class/credability you would retract your earlier comment.

If Mayo had an ounce of class theyd be happy with there 51 to our 26 clubs and leave players from across the border alone. He is inside the sligo border after all. You'll be waiting a long time to see a retraction from me in fact i wrote a way more agressive reply which would of pissed yee off big time but decided against it. Yer actions, arrogance and smugness make it very easy to shout against yee in all irelands very easy. Have a long look at yereselves for a change instead of judging me, parsons is no declan browne now is he joemanas?. Do you expect me not to angry and pissed off about parsons ffs? All I did was called his loyalty into question, was he loyal to sligo after as a youngster wearing the Sligo jerseys to games supporting Sligo with his Dad?
Theres no smoke without fire and like ronaldo in the summer parsons did his best to get a AFL contract but looks like he may have been unsuccessful sadly and now its being spun to make him look better now that he maybe staying, stayed on for a holiday and met a AFL agent for the craic .

I ve a nephew that wears the Maroon  underage who has often worn the Red and Green when he goes to Mayo/Galway games with the clan because he got his grá for the game from his dads brothers. Fact is he s torn and loves both teams and nothing wrong with that.  But in a game he would take the head off a Mayo lad if he got the chance and I d bollock him if he did nt. Football allegiance is not cut and dried.

[whitey]

Hey Slogonian....another famous Charlestown man once wrote a book-"No one shouted stop".


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We wont make the same mistake again