The 4 youngsters marked for AFL?

Started by GalwayBayBoy, November 17, 2007, 04:26:52 AM

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oakleaflad

Callum Brown has signed for GWS Giants

twohands!!!

Then there were five.

Anton Tohill (Derry)Collingwood
Mark Keane (Cork) Collingwood
James Madden (Dublin) Brisbane Lions
Stefan Okunbar (Kerry) Geelong
Callum Brown (Derry)  Greater Western Sydney Giants

QuoteBrown Becomes a GIANT
GIANTS Media  October 25, 2018 8:17 AM

GIANTS Sign Irish Rookie Callum Brown GIANTS welcome Irish recruit Callum Brown to the club as a rookie for the 2019 season. Watch as Leon Cameron talks about what he'll bring to the club.

Callum Brown becomes the first GIANTS mens player to be directly recruited from Ireland.

The GIANTS have welcomed Irish recruit Callum Brown to the club as a rookie for the 2019 season.

Brown is an up-and-coming Gaelic Football star in his home country and is a tall, skillful and athletic prospect.

The 18-year-old was identified by the GIANTS' Irish scouting program in July 2017 and undertook a 12-month trial process with the club.

He flew to Australia in August to spend two weeks training with the GIANTS under the eye of coach Leon Cameron.

Brown is an Ulster Minor Championship winner and All-Ireland finalist with Derry last year who also won provincial honours with the Oak Leaf U20 side this season.

GIANTS List Manager Jason McCartney said Brown showed plenty of promise.

"Callum really impressed when he spent time at the club earlier this year," McCartney said.

"He's an incredibly athletic and skillful player and showed an ability to pick up the nuances of AFL footy during some intensive training sessions.

"We know it takes some time to adapt to our game and we won't put any pressure on him but as an 18-year-old, he's a really exciting prospect."

Brown will move to Australia next month to begin training with the first-to-fourth year players when they return to the club on November 19.

Irish players can be signed directly to a club's Rookie List under the International Player Rule and do not have to go through the draft.

There's a five minute video with the coach of the Giants.

This is the first Irish recruit this club has signed.

http://www.gwsgiants.com.au/news/2018-10-25/brown-becomes-a-giant

twohands!!!

Then there were six.

QuoteRoos set to offer Irishman Murphy a rookie deal
Marc McGowan
Oct 26, 2018 4:38PM

THE AFL is set to field a record number of Irishmen in the competition next year, with North Melbourne preparing to table an offer to Gaelic footballer Red Óg Murphy.

Murphy and countryman Oisín McWilliams spent a week trialling at Arden St in August and AFL.com.au understands the Roos have settled on the former.

The news follows a flurry of AFL activity in the Irish space this year.

Ireland's James Madden (Brisbane), Mark Keane and Anton Tohill (Collingwood), Stefan Okunbor (Geelong) and Callum Brown (GWS Giants) have already committed for the 2019 season.

Those arrivals more than offset the exits of Lion Cian Hanley, Carlton's Ciaran Byrne and Cillian McDaid, and Saint Ray Connellan, who retired or were delisted this year.

There will be 14 Irish footballers in the AFL next season if Murphy takes up the Kangaroos' impending contract offer, which will be the standard two years for international rookies.

Murphy is competing for his club side, Curry, against Shamrock Gaels on Sunday in the Kennedys Intermediate final replay after the teams played out a thrilling tie last weekend.

The forward is considered one of his club's and county Sligo's brightest prospects.

His star began to rise from the time he scored 11 points in Sligo's narrow defeat to Derry in their All-Ireland minor quarter-final last year.

The last Irishman on North's list, Conor Meredith, failed to play an AFL game in his two years there are being drafted in 2008.

The Roos have trialled a series of Irish players since, including Barry Reilly and James McCarthy in 2009 and Rian O'Neill and Jack Kennedy in July last year.

They were also interested in Mark O'Connor before he chose to join Geelong two years ago.

North Melbourne used its Category B rookie spot this past season on rower and rugby union player Tom Jeffries, who was delisted after being relegated to grassroots club Avondale Heights when he couldn't earn a VFL game.

West Coast and Essendon are also showing interest in another Irishman, Jordan Morrissey.

Tohill, Keane, Morrissey and countryman Pierce Laverty tested at the NAB AFL Draft Combine in early October.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-10-26/roos-set-to-offer-irishman-murphy-a-rookie-deal

Jordan Morrisey is from Carlow.


twohands!!!

6 confirmed.


QuoteRed Óg Murphy signs contract with AFL's North Melbourne

Tuesday, October 30, 2018 - 08:32 AM
Daragh Ó Conchúir

North Melbourne have confirmed the signature of Sligo teenager, Red Óg Murphy on a Category B rookie contract, bringing the number of players signed by AFL clubs in the off-season to six.

Murphy joins Derry duo Anton Tohill (Collingwood) and Callum Brown (GWS), Cork's Mark Keane (Collingwood), Dublin's James Madden (Brisbane) and Kerry's Stefan Okunbor (Geelong) as the GAA newbies that will decamp to Australia in the coming weeks to begin pre-season training.


Red Og Murphy of Sligo in action against Conor McCluskey of Derry during the Electric Ireland All-Ireland GAA Football Minor Championship Quarter-Final last year. Photo: Oliver McVeigh/Sportsfile
An underage star who scored 11 points in Sligo's All-Ireland U20 quarter-final defeat by a Derry side that included Tohill and Brown earlier this year, Murphy impressed on trial with the Arden Street outfit in August.

While news of the development broke prior to the weekend, the Roos coaching staff wanted to hold off on announcing it until after Murphy had played for Curry in the Sligo intermediate final replay, which they lost by three points to Shamrock Gaels on Saturday.

"Red was invited to Arden Street and we were really happy with his ability and character" said North's general manager of football, Cameron Joyce.

"Our recruiters, and in particular our Pro Scout Nick Byrne, have stayed in touch with him and his family over the past few months and we are really happy to have signed him as a Category B rookie on our list."

Murphy's athletic ability and his ball skills stood out while on trial.

We did a variety of tests with Red and he was exceptional. We feel that he has the right foundations to enable him to have a real crack at playing in the AFL and we will give him every chance.

The left-footed attacking player developed a reputation for his vision and finishing, skills that may well see him deployed initially at least, in a counter-attacking half-back role.

With Cian Hanley (Mayo/Brisbane), Ray Connellan (Westmeath/St Kilda), Ciarán Byrne (Louth/Carlton) and Cillian McDaid (Galway/Carlton) either released or calling time on their AFL adventures voluntarily, the GAA contingent Down Under is now at 13.

In all, 24 of the 51 GAA players recruited prior to the current spate of signatures had played an AFL game. Of those, only eight have lined out more than 50 times.

Elsewhere, Carlow senior, Jordan Morrissey is reported to be in talks with two clubs.

Meanwhile, the next crop of hopefuls undertook some kicking practice with the Sherrin oval ball in UCD on Friday.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/gaa/red-og-murphy-signs-contract-with-afls-north-melbourne-882025.html

Captain Obvious

The numbers going out are increasing what is the reason for that as very few make it out there?

Gabriel_Hurl

Why wouldn't you want to go and give it a shot?

twohands!!!

Quote from: Captain Obvious on October 30, 2018, 05:42:17 PM
The numbers going out are increasing what is the reason for that as very few make it out there?

The money on offer even for a rookie contract is very decent - the annual salary for the international rookie contract is more than €50k , and the club covers accommodation, health costs, a car and a number of fights home. So a player can go out there and even if they don't "make it" in terms of signing a 2nd contract/playing with the first team/having a ten year long career, they can come back with a very nice chunk of savings.

If a player does "make it" the salaries on offer are very decent - the average salary in 2017 was $309,000 which works out as €193,000.


Wildweasel74

They don't make it cause it takes donkey years to learn the bounce of the oval ball, and the increased physical aspect, and the large leap in fitness!

Captain Obvious

Quote from: Gabriel_Hurl on October 30, 2018, 06:09:11 PM
Why wouldn't you want to go and give it a shot?

Never said they shouldn't but first they have to be given that shot and again only the chosen few are selected.



Rossfan

Davy's given us a dream to cling to
We're going to bring home the SAM

Rossfan

Davy's given us a dream to cling to
We're going to bring home the SAM

Angelo

I notice a few murmurings that the current crisis could cause big problems for the finances of the AFL. There's been a few people involved in the recruitment process that say that they won't be targeting GAA players now in light of these financial issues as the cost is much more than focusing on their own domestic talent.

If the financial problems exist then is it possible we could see the current Irish lads return home?

Imagine the boost the return of the likes of McKenna, O'Connor and Hanley could impact on Tyrone, Kerry and Mayo in trying to get up to the level Dublin are at?

Then you'd have a county like Derry who have 3 or 4 of their best underage players from recent years out plying their trade there including Conor Glass.

I'd expect the likes of Tyrone, Kerry and Mayo will try and take advantage of this situation. Maybe the boat has sailed for Hanley but when you think of how close Mayo were in the past you have to think that if they had him among their ranks he could have made the difference.
GAA FUNDING CHEATS CHEAT US ALL

GetOverTheBar

Quote from: Angelo on April 08, 2020, 09:36:05 AM
I notice a few murmurings that the current crisis could cause big problems for the finances of the AFL. There's been a few people involved in the recruitment process that say that they won't be targeting GAA players now in light of these financial issues as the cost is much more than focusing on their own domestic talent.

If the financial problems exist then is it possible we could see the current Irish lads return home?

Imagine the boost the return of the likes of McKenna, O'Connor and Hanley could impact on Tyrone, Kerry and Mayo in trying to get up to the level Dublin are at?

Then you'd have a county like Derry who have 3 or 4 of their best underage players from recent years out plying their trade there including Conor Glass.

I'd expect the likes of Tyrone, Kerry and Mayo will try and take advantage of this situation. Maybe the boat has sailed for Hanley but when you think of how close Mayo were in the past you have to think that if they had him among their ranks he could have made the difference.

If they do it or not is another thing, but the AFL clubs have one massive ace up their sleeves if they need to raise cash. Private ownership, be it full or partial. This might be something that finally forces it to go that way, if it did, you would expect the numbers of Irish going over, instead of coming back to be a massive problem. But there is barriers the AFL themselves have implemented to more or less veto that (but the hand may be forced).

The AFL itself doesn't actually make mega money....compared to the Premier League say, I think it was like 50 million dollars or something. But you can expect the Australian Govt will not let any sporting franchise or organisation to struggle or fall away, the Australians treat sport like a religion.

As far as players coming back....unless they want to, they won't. Ciaran Sheehan was released and stayed in Oz for about another 18 odd months playing Semi Professional.

JoG2

Quote from: Angelo on April 08, 2020, 09:36:05 AM
I notice a few murmurings that the current crisis could cause big problems for the finances of the AFL. There's been a few people involved in the recruitment process that say that they won't be targeting GAA players now in light of these financial issues as the cost is much more than focusing on their own domestic talent.


Is there a link? Surely these costs are a drop in the ocean? The odd flight, players staying with families. The very small amount that are selected are on low rookie wages.

Angelo

Quote from: JoG2 on April 08, 2020, 02:45:11 PM
Quote from: Angelo on April 08, 2020, 09:36:05 AM
I notice a few murmurings that the current crisis could cause big problems for the finances of the AFL. There's been a few people involved in the recruitment process that say that they won't be targeting GAA players now in light of these financial issues as the cost is much more than focusing on their own domestic talent.


Is there a link? Surely these costs are a drop in the ocean? The odd flight, players staying with families. The very small amount that are selected are on low rookie wages.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/afl-to-curtail-recruitment-of-irish-players-as-covid-19-bites-39112367.html
GAA FUNDING CHEATS CHEAT US ALL