Cream of the crop attend Aussie Rules trials
13 February 2013
Cormac Costello (Dublin), Daniel Flynn (Kildare) and Damien Cahalane (Cork) are just some of the young GAA stars who are attending Tadhg Kennelly's Australian Rules trials at DCU this week.
The cream of the country's young gaelic footballers are being put through their paces by the AFL's International Ambassador.
Dublin pair Eric Lowndes and Shane Carthy were also at the trials which are taking place over yesterday and today.
Paddy Brophy is another emerging Kildare talent attending along with Armagh's Ethan Rafferty and Antrim's James Lavery.
Meanwhile, rising Dublin star Jack McCaffrey turned down a fresh approach from Kennelly to attend the trials.
Kennelly told The Irish Daily Star: "Jack came last year, we saw a lot of potential in him and it's his preference (not to go further). Jack McCaffrey ran a 2.8 for a 20-metre sprint. It blows them out of the water in Australia straight away.
"It's a thing that clubs can look at and say 'there is freaky talent in Ireland. They're not just footballers, they're athletes as well'.
"It's not just Gaelic footballers we're looking for."
Galway's Shane Walsh and Kerry's Padraig Lucey are exciting basketball prospects while English rugby international Cameron Cope is also attending the trials.
AFL trialists - Cormac Costello, Gavin Burke, Shane Carthy, Eric Lowndes, Niall Scully (all Dublin); Paddy Brophy, Daniel Flynn (both Kildare), Damien Cahalane (Cork); Bill Maher, Philip Quirke, Steven O'Brien (all Tipperary); James Laverty (Antrim); Conor Carville, Niall Grimley (both Derry); Shane Walsh (Galway); Ronan Daly (Roscommon); Che Cullen, Lee Cullen (both Fermanagh); Adam Gallagher (Mayo); Ethan Rafferty (Armagh); Hugh McFadden (Donegal); Padraig Lucey (Kerry); Cameron Cope (Wolverhampton); G Leech (Westmeath).
Kennelly is the sort of landlord's agent that would get his cart wheels loosened back in the old days. :o
How many times over the years have we heard from kennelly " ah sure look, never say never, i'd never rule anything out".
He likes the aul media for sure, but i suppose he's only answering the same silly questions he gets from the journos. I've no doubt he could do a good job for kerry this year but he likely wants a handy 4 months summer championship stint cause he isn't able/ couldn't be bothered with the league. Fitzmaurice would risk rocking the boat by only bringing him in for summer.
As for the trials, don't think we take much notice of them any more, serious amount of lads have come home in the last 2 years
Think there is more chance of Tommy Walsh playing for Kerry this year than Kennelly. Last I heard he was struggling to make an impact at the Swans after being released by St Kilda last year.
I reckon Walsh will get one more year with Sydney to prove his worth. Sydney have recruited a monster in Kurt Tippett to play up forward but he won't be available for a number of weeks because of salary cap violations at his old club. Walsh will need to show something before Tippett becomes available.
I thought Walsh would be a monty to become a regular AFL player because of his size and athletic ability. His skills and reading of the game are comparatively poor and this seems to have halted his progress.
Pearce Hanley is close to becoming an elite AFL player after a stellar 2012. Zac Tuohey is also a first choice selection these days. Marty Clarke was ordinary last year and seems to have lost some zip. He will need to improve. Mooney showed a bit last year and has leg speed which is something his team (Collingwood) needs.
Quote from: HeaveHo on February 22, 2013, 02:13:01 AM
I reckon Walsh will get one more year with Sydney to prove his worth. Sydney have recruited a monster in Kurt Tippett to play up forward but he won't be available for a number of weeks because of salary cap violations at his old club. Walsh will need to show something before Tippett becomes available.
I thought Walsh would be a monty to become a regular AFL player because of his size and athletic ability. His skills and reading of the game are comparatively poor and this seems to have halted his progress.
Pearce Hanley is close to becoming an elite AFL player after a stellar 2012. Zac Tuohey is also a first choice selection these days. Marty Clarke was ordinary last year and seems to have lost some zip. He will need to improve. Mooney showed a bit last year and has leg speed which is something his team (Collingwood) needs.
That's what good Ros genes does for you. ;)
I'd have loved Pearce to have still been playing football because he's an incredibly talented player but the sight of Andy Moran
and Pearce Hanley in their primes lining out for Mayo (and probably winning last year's All-Ireland, honestly) would probably have been enough to trigger a spate of depression in Roscommon, and that's before getting to the likes of Brendan Cox's (a fine, true West Roscommon man, of course) son, Conor Cox, starring for Kerry and UCC. Sure the area is a factory of top class forwards..
Anyways, best of luck Pearce, and remember you can join a different Ros club if you ever return :-X
Job satisfaction must be crap in this factory as they all seem to feck off somewhere else ;)
Quote from: Syferus on February 22, 2013, 02:23:46 AM
Quote from: HeaveHo on February 22, 2013, 02:13:01 AM
I reckon Walsh will get one more year with Sydney to prove his worth. Sydney have recruited a monster in Kurt Tippett to play up forward but he won't be available for a number of weeks because of salary cap violations at his old club. Walsh will need to show something before Tippett becomes available.
I thought Walsh would be a monty to become a regular AFL player because of his size and athletic ability. His skills and reading of the game are comparatively poor and this seems to have halted his progress.
Pearce Hanley is close to becoming an elite AFL player after a stellar 2012. Zac Tuohey is also a first choice selection these days. Marty Clarke was ordinary last year and seems to have lost some zip. He will need to improve. Mooney showed a bit last year and has leg speed which is something his team (Collingwood) needs.
That's what good Ros genes does for you. ;)
I'd have loved Pearce to have still been playing football because he's an incredibly talented player but the sight of Andy Moran and Pearce Hanley in their primes lining out for Mayo (and probably winning last year's All-Ireland, honestly) would probably have been enough to trigger a spate of depression in Roscommon, and that's before getting to the likes of Brendan Cox's (a fine, true West Roscommon man, of course) son, Conor Cox, starring for Kerry and UCC. Sure the area is a factory of top class forwards..
Anyways, best of luck Pearce, and remember you can join a different Ros club if you ever return :-X
jaysus if your claiing all them mayo are going to claim Michael murphy and the Brogans
another big loss for mayo after hanley would be Adam Gallagher . probably the oustaning minor in the country last year
Too true rosnarun, if he didn't come out bad in the collision in the semifinal, Mayo might have made it to the final.
Quote from: spuds on February 13, 2013, 03:11:43 PM
Kennelly is the sort of landlord's agent that would get his cart wheels loosened back in the old days. :o
Ha!
Quote from: rosnarun on February 23, 2013, 12:13:41 AM
Quote from: Syferus on February 22, 2013, 02:23:46 AM
Quote from: HeaveHo on February 22, 2013, 02:13:01 AM
I reckon Walsh will get one more year with Sydney to prove his worth. Sydney have recruited a monster in Kurt Tippett to play up forward but he won't be available for a number of weeks because of salary cap violations at his old club. Walsh will need to show something before Tippett becomes available.
I thought Walsh would be a monty to become a regular AFL player because of his size and athletic ability. His skills and reading of the game are comparatively poor and this seems to have halted his progress.
Pearce Hanley is close to becoming an elite AFL player after a stellar 2012. Zac Tuohey is also a first choice selection these days. Marty Clarke was ordinary last year and seems to have lost some zip. He will need to improve. Mooney showed a bit last year and has leg speed which is something his team (Collingwood) needs.
That's what good Ros genes does for you. ;)
I'd have loved Pearce to have still been playing football because he's an incredibly talented player but the sight of Andy Moran and Pearce Hanley in their primes lining out for Mayo (and probably winning last year's All-Ireland, honestly) would probably have been enough to trigger a spate of depression in Roscommon, and that's before getting to the likes of Brendan Cox's (a fine, true West Roscommon man, of course) son, Conor Cox, starring for Kerry and UCC. Sure the area is a factory of top class forwards..
Anyways, best of luck Pearce, and remember you can join a different Ros club if you ever return :-X
jaysus if your claiing all them mayo are going to claim Michael murphy and the Brogans
another big loss for mayo after hanley would be Adam Gallagher . probably the oustaning minor in the country last year
Kinda helped the optics that the rest of the Mayo team couldn't hit a barn door from five paces bar the Tipp game! Gallagher is a serious talent all right but not even unquestionably the best minor midfielder in Connacht his age bracket - Thomas Corcoran is just as big, mobile and good on frees as Gallagher.
Anyone that watched Cormac Costello last year can tell you there is little question he was the outstanding minor footballer last year, though. Let's not even approach the equally hard to ignore fact that he was also the outstanding minor
hurler last year. Every bit as good as Ciaran Kilkenny, indeed probably even better to my eyes.
As expected. :-[
He'll be able to do his rehab full time over there. Best of luck to him
(https://s3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/yri.wtK9FTnASVwL_QfXyA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_uk/News/TheJournal.ie/cian-hanley-630x412.jpg)
Mayo To Lose One Of Its Bright Young Stars To The AFL
Cian Hanley, Mayo minor star and younger brother of AFL player Pearce Hanley, is following in his sibling's footsteps by also making a move down under.
Despite suffering a suspected ACL injury during the All-Ireland minor semi-final loss to Kerry at Croke Park, the Mayo captain is still being signed up by the Brisbane Lions, the same club where his brother plays.
Quoted by The Courier Mail, Brisbane manager Dean Warren said that the club would be sticking by the younger Hanley despite the injury.
"It is really shattering for him, but we have made a commitment to him and we will stick by him."
"It is an opportunity for us, he will be able to do a lot of skill acquisition training and work in the gym so we don't think we'll lose that much time because of the injury."
While his brother is just delighted to have another Irishman around the place.
"I may have him covered for pace, but endurance wise, he was light years in front of me."
"I'm thrilled I can be here to help him out but having family here, and another Irishman, will be great for me too."
"I have missed out on watching him play his football so far, so I am really looking forward to that also."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SIGU57fgPs
Pearce Hanley on the AFL show a few weeks ago, some fairly cringe stuff by the panel on the Irish stereotype http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gExJDe7Ylg
Apparently Cian Hanley is onhis way out to Brisbane also
(oops, hadn't spotted that, sorry ballinaman)
That's literally 2 posts above yours :)
Quote from: AZOffaly on September 04, 2014, 01:51:52 PM
That's literally 2 posts above yours :)
Yeah, yeah. Don't usually post on the phone! Just spotted it
It was no surprise that he would get attention given how well Pearce has done. The lad has been seriously unlucky with injuries these past two seasons, I hope he has a full recovery and gets to give it a proper go. Cian is just as talented as his brother is.
Ballagh must be the most unlucky club in Ireland, stuck playing Mayo football and down two senior IC level footballers.
May every half dacent footballer in the place get out as quick as possible.
They'll never have a day's luck till they join the County they all live in.
Other than that I wish them all well ;D
Quote from: Syferus on September 04, 2014, 02:09:41 PM
It was no surprise that he would get attention given how well Pearce has done. The lad has been seriously unlucky with injuries these past two seasons, I hope he has a full recovery and gets to give it a proper go. Cian is just as talented as his brother is.
Ballagh must be the most unlucky club in Ireland, stuck playing Mayo football and down two senior IC level footballers.
your right imagime how many couty Titles they could have won if they took the step down
They must think highly of him so. I thought his chance had gone with the injury.
He looks a little light for AFL and didn't his brother play U-21,Senior football before rushing out?
Quote from: Captain Obvious on September 04, 2014, 04:54:23 PM
He looks a little light for AFL and didn't his brother play U-21,Senior football before rushing out?
Eh? The AFL wants players as young as possible. Being light is neither here nor there - the names of players young Tadhg has trialled tend to be those with pace and skills to burn, not huge size. If someone is tall enough they can change their body-shape quite easily. Pearce's physique changed massively over his academy career.
Cian won't see top level action for the better part of two years or more if everything goes well.
Did he attend trials?
I never heard these trials announced, are lads recruited directly based on co minor performance?
Best of luck to him, he seems to be a steady young lad
Quote from: Red on September 04, 2014, 06:45:31 PM
Did he attend trials?
I never heard these trials announced, are lads recruited directly based on co minor performance?
Best of luck to him, he seems to be a steady young lad
Not sure if Cian was involved in the public trials but his team-mate Sharoize Akram was last year, though. The last few years the names of the attendees of at least one under-age trial by Tadhg Kennelly has been named.
It might be a special case given his brother but I'm sure they vetted Cian somehow. I can imagine there would be a lot of scouts interested in the brother of Pearce Hanley.
Cian is a done deal for a year now, or so the Ballagh grapevine would say. I heard he was gone after last years final. Great news for him on a personal level but Ballagh and Mayo are seriously unlucky to lose talent like this. I honestly believe Pearse could have been the difference between winning and losing the last 2 all-Irelands and now Cian is off. Would be great if Pearse would 'do a kenneally' and give us a year but that's wishful thinking.
Quote from: Syferus on September 04, 2014, 06:58:10 PM
Quote from: Red on September 04, 2014, 06:45:31 PM
Did he attend trials?
I never heard these trials announced, are lads recruited directly based on co minor performance?
Best of luck to him, he seems to be a steady young lad
Not sure if Cian was involved in the public trials but his team-mate Sharoize Akram was last year, though. The last few years the names of the attendees of at least one under-age trial by Tadhg Kennelly has been named.
It might be a special case given his brother but I'm sure they vetted Cian somehow. I can imagine there would be a lot of scouts interested in the brother of Pearce Hanley.
Ya, I've seen the media coverage of trials and who attended but has Kennelly got some local scouting in place or is it up to a young lad to make contact with Kennelly.
He gets a bit of slack for recruiting from some quarters but it seems he has a local network.
Quote from: Red on September 04, 2014, 07:20:33 PM
Quote from: Syferus on September 04, 2014, 06:58:10 PM
Quote from: Red on September 04, 2014, 06:45:31 PM
Did he attend trials?
I never heard these trials announced, are lads recruited directly based on co minor performance?
Best of luck to him, he seems to be a steady young lad
Not sure if Cian was involved in the public trials but his team-mate Sharoize Akram was last year, though. The last few years the names of the attendees of at least one under-age trial by Tadhg Kennelly has been named.
It might be a special case given his brother but I'm sure they vetted Cian somehow. I can imagine there would be a lot of scouts interested in the brother of Pearce Hanley.
Ya, I've seen the media coverage of trials and who attended but has Kennelly got some local scouting in place or is it up to a young lad to make contact with Kennelly.
He gets a bit of slack for recruiting from some quarters but it seems he has a local network.
I wonder how exactly it works too, he was fairly on the ball with Akram getting him in for a trial despite being an U16 last year though that might have something to do with the attention Cian was already drawing to the town. Still, even most GAA people in Mayo probalby wouldn't have known Akram from Adam when he got trialled so Tadhg is getting good intel somehow.
Where's Daniel Flynn nowadays?
Was he involved with the Kildare seniors at all since he came back?
He is back in Oz with Port Adelaide, was back for a few months, homesick I think.
Think a brother of his is on the draft , Paddy Brophy too
His brother Luke attended trials. Clubmate Sean Hurley is heading out in a few weeks.
Daniel Flynn has a great phsyical presence and you would imagine he will do well in AFL providing he gets no injuries. He was one of the few Kildare U21's that stood out last year against Galway in the u21 AIS, was still 19.
Hurley was decent too.
Quote from: rodney trotter on September 04, 2014, 09:32:47 PM
Daniel Flynn has a great phsyical presence and you would imagine he will do well in AFL providing he gets no injuries. He was one of the few Kildare U21's that stood out last year against Galway in the u21 AIS, was still 19.
Hurley was decent too.
I'd be surprised- if you look at the players who've made it out there. They were exceptionally skilled players.
Big lads haven'd done so well
I think Hurley might be a bit old to be changing code now.
Flynn could well make it. He has incredible speed and acceleration for a lad of his size.
Quote from: Donnellys Hollow on September 04, 2014, 09:53:34 PM
I think Hurley might be a bit old to be changing code now.
Flynn could well make it. He has incredible speed and acceleration for a lad of his size.
He's not the first Irish lad with those attributes to go over. Hanley, Kennelly , Tuohy and Clarke were exceptionally skillful as well.
Best of luck to him
Quote from: INDIANA on September 04, 2014, 10:03:00 PM
Quote from: Donnellys Hollow on September 04, 2014, 09:53:34 PM
I think Hurley might be a bit old to be changing code now.
Flynn could well make it. He has incredible speed and acceleration for a lad of his size.
He's not the first Irish lad with those attributes to go over. Hanley, Kennelly , Tuohy and Clarke were exceptionally skillful as well.
Best of luck to him
Obviously not but I wouldn't say his ball skills are lacking either. He was the main man on a Hogan Cup winning team only two years ago.
He has lots of skill from what I seen of him, I remember that Hogan final alright , Edenderry against St Michaels Enniskillen.
Quote from: rodney trotter on September 04, 2014, 10:28:34 PM
He has lots of skill from what I seen of him, I remember that Hogan final alright , Edenderry against St Michaels Enniskillen.
He obviously has skill - he just never struck me as someone who'd excel at AFL.
No worries, didn't look out of the place in the PTV, which is the reserve league a few months ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u004PgG8WbA
Looks like Paddy Brophy is gone now as well.
There will be no footballers left in north Kildare at this rate.
Quote from: Donnellys Hollow on September 12, 2014, 03:44:56 PM
There will be no footballers left in north Kildare at this rate.
At least ye have a good crop of U21 hurlers. Not as fine as ours though.
Quote from: Donnellys Hollow on September 12, 2014, 03:44:56 PM
There will be no footballers left in north Kildare at this rate.
I don't see what the big deal is, just make some more.
Quote from: Jinxy on September 12, 2014, 03:52:22 PM
Quote from: Donnellys Hollow on September 12, 2014, 03:44:56 PM
There will be no footballers left in north Kildare at this rate.
I don't see what the big deal is, just make some more.
We've had our tech budget cut to pay for Dublin's coaches...
see Flynn give a mighty hit in a game in the aussie rules, maybe a reserve game,
Was flicking through Fox Footy at the weekend and came across The Recruit. I had heard of this show but never watched it - basically it is a reality TV show where AFL footballers who haven't yet made it for one reason or another are given a shot at winning a contract.
Padraig Lucey from Kerry was on the show, and apparently he made it down to the final few competitors, before losing out when they made a call between him and another ruckman. A quick look at bigfooty (AFL forum) and people are talking him up that he may be offered a contract - mainly because he is still young at 21 and many of the other recruits are already 24/25.
Anybody know any more about Padraig?
Quote from: Dinny Breen on September 12, 2014, 04:16:27 PM
Quote from: Jinxy on September 12, 2014, 03:52:22 PM
Quote from: Donnellys Hollow on September 12, 2014, 03:44:56 PM
There will be no footballers left in north Kildare at this rate.
I don't see what the big deal is, just make some more.
We've had our tech budget cut to pay for Dublin's coaches...
At this rate we'll have a better team in Australia than Hawkfield. Add in Kevin Feely - the best of the bunch in my opinion - and we'll soon be down four men who, if they delivered on their potential, were good enough for us to build a team around.
When you look at how Ciaran Kilkenny returned - and how he was the only Dub to go there in the first place - you'd have to wonder whether we do enough to try and keep these lads. You can talk about underage structures all you want but if the good work you do results in the best products of that system playing professional sport abroad, you're at nothing.
Quote from: Never beat the deeler on September 15, 2014, 02:46:23 AM
Was flicking through Fox Footy at the weekend and came across The Recruit. I had heard of this show but never watched it - basically it is a reality TV show where AFL footballers who haven't yet made it for one reason or another are given a shot at winning a contract.
Padraig Lucey from Kerry was on the show, and apparently he made it down to the final few competitors, before losing out when they made a call between him and another ruckman. A quick look at bigfooty (AFL forum) and people are talking him up that he may be offered a contract - mainly because he is still young at 21 and many of the other recruits are already 24/25.
Anybody know any more about Padraig?
He's very average as a footballer to be honest. Wouldn't be near Kerry standard, was in UCC for a few years and was nowhere near Sigerson team either. He's around 6'5, mobile enough, but not good enough on the ball for top level Gaelic. If he makes it at AFL good luck to him.
Kildare manager Jason Ryan confirmed that the Johnstownbridge player will not be part of the senior panel next season.Hurley made his debut for the Lilywhites in 2011 and participated in the draft combine two years ago. He had a trial with the Dockers at the end of 2013 but is now hoping it will be a case of second time lucky."Sean has a contract with Fremantle so he is due to go in a few weeks' time," Ryan told the Kildare Nationalist."I suppose it's a shame for Kildare GAA to have guys that you know are extremely talented who you know would be able to help (not being available). The thought of them not being around is disappointing."Daniel Flynn, a Johnstownbridge club mate, is currently with Port Adelaide while Paddy Brophy has been in Australia since last Saturday and visited six clubs ahead of this week's draft."You have Daniel Flynn, Kevin Feely (a professional soccer player with Newport County), Sean Hurley and maybe Paddy Brophy as well. To lose four guys from around the same age bracket would be hard to take," Ryan admitted. - See more at: http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/kildare-footballer-sean-hurley-signs-for-afl-side-freemantle-30632595.html#sthash.K7GfoKjJ.dpuf
Paddy Brophy signed for West Coast Eagles.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/25178586/eagles-sign-irish-rookie/ (https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/25178586/eagles-sign-irish-rookie/)
Connor McKenna of Tyrone gone too http://t.co/ZZjyvbq7Qj
The Kildare lads will be home within 6 months.
They'll miss their horses.
Funny how other counties never seem to lose their best young talent.
Speaking of young talent, the phenomenal Conor Nash from Meath is on the AFL and Leinster Rugby's radar. Only 16 and was the star turn in Leinster u18s all conquering club team, around 6' 4 and very quick.
Johnstownbridge seems to the the hotbed for AFL chiefs, Paul Cribben spent 2 years with Collingwood, and now Hurley & Flynn
Quote from: rodney trotter on October 03, 2014, 11:25:51 AM
Johnstownbridge seems to the the hotbed for AFL chiefs, Paul Cribben spent 2 years with Collingwood, and now Hurley & Flynn
Dnaiel's younger brother Luke is tipped to go as well.
I think St Mary's, Edenderry and Emmet McDonnell have to take a lot of the credit as well. That school has become a real nursery, although Kildare seem to fair better than Offaly out of it.
Will we have anyone left to be able to field a full team next year?
Quote from: Donnellys Hollow on October 03, 2014, 11:51:46 AM
Will we have anyone left to be able to field a full team next year?
Heard Nuxer is returning home.
Pity Wooly is still not playing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtO-uGhmeY0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtO-uGhmeY0)
Quote from: Dinny Breen on October 03, 2014, 12:07:41 PM
Quote from: Donnellys Hollow on October 03, 2014, 11:51:46 AM
Will we have anyone left to be able to field a full team next year?
Heard Nuxer is returning home.
Pity Wooly is still not playing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtO-uGhmeY0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtO-uGhmeY0)
Great news. Now once we can afford to pay for Larry Tompkins plane ticket from New York we should be well set.
At least there's now a glimmer of hope for the other counties in the O'Byrne Cup.
I see Cillian McDaid is out in Australia on trial along with Stefan Okunbor. It will be a huge blow for Galway if McDaid gets a club although not a surprise as this is about the 4th or 5th time he's travelled overseas to be part of a trial.
Quote from: Jinxy on October 03, 2014, 10:47:16 AM
The Kildare lads will be home within 6 months.
They'll miss their horses.
(http://cached.imagescaler.hbpl.co.uk/resize/scaleWidth/614/offlinehbpl.hbpl.co.uk/news/ORP/kermit6-21-2016-20160621064006391.jpg)
Quote from: Maroon Manc on September 27, 2017, 06:33:45 PM
I see Cillian McDaid is out in Australia on trial along with Stefan Okunbor. It will be a huge blow for Galway if McDaid gets a club although not a surprise as this is about the 4th or 5th time he's travelled overseas to be part of a trial.
My initial thought is he is a bit on the small side for AFL. They usually like them a bit bigger even though he would have the pace and athleticism alright. Been to a few trials though so he's obviously mad keen to go if he gets a chance.
Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on September 27, 2017, 07:38:37 PM
Quote from: Maroon Manc on September 27, 2017, 06:33:45 PM
I see Cillian McDaid is out in Australia on trial along with Stefan Okunbor. It will be a huge blow for Galway if McDaid gets a club although not a surprise as this is about the 4th or 5th time he's travelled overseas to be part of a trial.
My initial thought is he is a bit on the small side for AFL. They usually like them a bit bigger even though he would have the pace and athleticism alright. Been to a few trials though so he's obviously mad keen to go if he gets a chance.
I thought that but remember one of the Galway posters who knows a bit more about the ARL then I do stating his height wasn't an issue. Good luck to him but would be a loss to Galway as he's easily one of the most talented players come out of the underage in recent years.
I see McDaid has signed with Carlton.
The Galway back line may remain generous for a bit longer.