AFL Invasion

[Hardy]

Petty? I'm a member of the GAA. So is my neighbour down the road. Would I look petty if he came into my garden and started up a barbecue without my permission and I removed him "forcibly" (I presume you meant) or otherwise?

[Gnevin]

In fairness GNevin, this new 'big push' seems to be far more organised and efficient than the random sort of scouting that was going on.

Doesn't mean these players will make it .It must be remember these players are going over to play a game they've never played 8 players in 10 years is a very low number .Which the GAA should be highlighting to young players

The AFL now have the names and contact details of every underaged player in the country.

Fair play to them i bet you the GAA don't have this sort of information

[robertemmet]

In recent times the GAA have lost some of their top stars to Soccer, Rugby and AFL.  If they are going to hold on to our top talent, we are going to have to organise and market their games much better.

I agree with Nicky Brennan that not all the lads who go 'down under' will make it, but players are still getting offered the chance to have a go at it.  The lure of going down under to experience a new culture, see the world and possibly make it in the big time is quite an attraction.

Ii they stay at home they have the following to look forward to:

(1) A poorly organised club/county fixture schedule
(2) 3-4 games in a two week period, then none during the summer months
(3) Struggling to keep all their managers happy as they have so many games on
(4) Not being able to organise holidays for fear of fixtures being changed and them losing the money for the holidays
(5) playing up to 2-3 games a week during exam season

If properly organised the GAA could offer so much to our young players.  In many cases they will go to play soccer/rugby for the local club as they know exactly where they stand with regard to fixtures etc.

[Uladh]

The AFL now have the names and contact details of every underaged player in the country.

According to Martin McHugh

[INDIANA]

well if kevin nolan decides to go down under you won't be so chipper gnevin. 2 other lads from crokes are going as well. I think it's absolutely outrageous that they would have the gall to just turn up and start using the pitch without asking anyone.

robertemmett the only way the club fixtures issue will ever be solved is if county players don't play for their clubs, that the only solution.

[Gnevin]

well if kevin nolan decides to go down under you won't be so chipper gnevin. 2 other lads from crokes are going as well. I think it's absolutely outrageous that they would have the gall to just turn up and start using the pitch without asking anyone.

robertemmett the only way the club fixtures issue will ever be solved is if county players don't play for their clubs, that the only solution.

Lets see how many player put their name on the dotted line by the end of the year and see realistic the scope of this issue. People are up in arms here and rightly so about the pitch but Soccer and Rugby take far more players than the AFL has .

[Hardy]

robertemmett the only way the club fixtures issue will ever be solved is if county players don't play for their clubs, that the only solution.

I think that bullet might have to be bitten OK. Fixture mayhem is the biggest disadvantage we suffer in competition with other sports for players and we're doing it to ourselves for no good reason other than want of proper organisation.

[Bensars]

Think there is a major over reaction here. Unless this year is something different there is only ever a handful of players this effects. There is talk of 20-25 young players going out, IMO this wont happen.

What everyone seems to be forgetting, is that there is a natural wastage anyway, always has been.

How many players has Soccer,Rugby etc "poached". Then there is the element that go onto further education and may stop playing gaelic games. Dont forget the Drink and the female species either.


In regards of providing coaching jobs. Thats a load of balls IMHO. Firstly it creates an elite element. ( I presume these jobs will only be offered to those about to be poached ).  It smacks of desperation. It also doesnt take account of people that want to persue different avenues in the career paths. Childminding and teaching/ coaching  doesnt rock everyones world !

Half of those that go will return with a  month or two anyway, homesick and missing mammys cooking. Probably half of the remainder will be scratched for not meeting the required level.

However they are amatuer players and should be afforded the oppurtunity to explore it, if they so desire !

[Gnevin]

robertemmett the only way the club fixtures issue will ever be solved is if county players don't play for their clubs, that the only solution.

I think that bullet might have to be bitten OK. Fixture mayhem is the biggest disadvantage we suffer in competition with other sports for players and we're doing it to ourselves for no good reason other than want of proper organisation.

In this day and age ,their should be no issue with fixtures for 95% of teams. Just classify the teams by player type


Class A - Dual players on inter county panel
Class B - Players on the inter county panel
Class C  -Dual club players
Class D - No players dual players

Class A - Teams to be scheduled in "Free weeks" , County boards to assume they win both All-Ireland via qualifiers
Class B - Teams to be scheduled in "Free weeks" , County boards to assume they win All-Ireland via qualifiers
Class C - Teams , can be scheduled to play each other regardless of any inter county  team/game/championship.
Class D - Free teams , can be scheduled to play each other  regardless of any other team/game/championship.


Games will only be cancelled in extreme circumstances,team members death for class A,B and C. Class D can be more relaxed All games with have an alternative venue and times, i.e
To be played Thursday 10th July Parnell Park alternate Whitehall
Alt dates Friday,Sat,Sun
games must be played within 3 days of original date.

[Bensars]

Madness,  absolute madness  ...........

a scout/ agent comes over from australia to have a look at a few young lads and next thing is restructuring the classification of all players in BOTH codes and debates on fixture conjestion.

It a good job some of you werent in control of the red button during the cold war !

[dublinfella]

Petty? I'm a member of the GAA. So is my neighbour down the road. Would I look petty if he came into my garden and started up a barbecue without my permission and I removed him "forcibly" (I presume you meant) or otherwise?

a totally spurious analagy.

members of the GAA had a kickabout on a GAA pitch and were removed becasue there was a non member watching.

[INDIANA]

4-5 camps bensars being organised, over 100 elite players being looked at.  I'd say up to 20 will be brought over.  by all accounts they aim to increase. 3 are going from Dublin.They didn't even attend a camp and  haven't appeared in any papers.
Not much the Gaa can do, and i wouldn't begrudge the players but the current recruitment drive is on a different level to previous years. The Aussies think on it, is that they firmly believe that elite minor footballers will cut it at AFL. They feel our lads have better ball skills and a natural athlecticism. their game is getting more like Gaelic Football every year.

[AZOffaly]

Petty? I'm a member of the GAA. So is my neighbour down the road. Would I look petty if he came into my garden and started up a barbecue without my permission and I removed him "forcibly" (I presume you meant) or otherwise?

a totally spurious analagy.

members of the GAA had a kickabout on a GAA pitch and were removed becasue there was a non member watching.

Now that's spurious.

Members of the GAA had a trial in a non-GAA game, on a GAA pitch, while being officially watched and evaluated for a potential move away from the GAA by a representative of a club in the new sport.

[Gnevin]

next thing is restructuring the classification of all players in BOTH codes

It a good job some of you werent in control of the red button during the cold war !

If that's in relation to my post . My point was to classify the teams to make fixturing easier not restructuring the classification of players . The class wouldn't indicate one team is better than the other just when the team is available to play

[AZOffaly]

4-5 camps bensars being organised, over 100 elite players being looked at.  I'd say up to 20 will be brought over.  by all accounts they aim to increase. 3 are going from Dublin.They didn't even attend a camp and  haven't appeared in any papers.
Not much the Gaa can do, and i wouldn't begrudge the players but the current recruitment drive is on a different level to previous years. The Aussies think on it, is that they firmly believe that elite minor footballers will cut it at AFL. They feel our lads have better ball skills and a natural athlecticism. their game is getting more like Gaelic Football every year.

That's true Indiana. I haven't watched Aussie rule in years, but a couple of nights ago I watched Sydney versus Collingwood. I was amazed by the amount of Short passes, hand passes, support running, breaking balls etc etc. Way less 'long' kicks that I remember, very little of the spectacular fielding that was evident years ago. It was almost like watching Tyrone playing Fermanagh with a funny ball on a round field. Their game is adapting to become something that GAA players will find even easier to play, I think.