AFL threaten GAA over future player recruitment

[stiffler]

I wouldnt take that comment by Roos as a threat, he hasnt said anything new, the possibility of a full time professional contract will always be a temptation to our top young stars.

[plain man]

The reports about Kevin Dyas heading to Collingwood to play Aussie Rules are true - they're ready to fly him over once Dromintee are out of the Championship

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=361318

I've mixed feelings about this, big loss to Armagh and huge loss to Dromintee - but I reckon he can make a go of it.

[Billys Boots]

respect for the hybrid game of International Rules

I didn't see much respect being shown in the games themselves.

[lynchbhoy]

respect for the hybrid game of International Rules

I didn't see much respect being shown in the games themselves.

I would agree with that

I dont think we could or should stop these young lads going over to Oz to play professionally.
Not all will make it and they will come home the better for it - usually (eg Tohill - otherwise they might come back a wee bit perverted eg nicholas walsh allegedly)

We have enough players to go around. OK we might lose some of our best - but you dont hear Kerry folk complaining about Tadhg Kennelly. Dubs would have loved Stynes to be their midfield dynamo

we lose players to work, injury, drink, women, emigration etc all the time.
A handful of lads , a couple from each county even - at worst - will not make a huge difference. It might make a difference between a county winning a championship game, but we are an ameteur sport, we cannot combat this migration unless we offer jobs through our county sponsors etc.

I dont think its a bad thing for our lads to get the chance of making big money in oz rather than stay here in Ireland working as a boring sales rep or window glazier etc when they could be fulfilling their dreams and bank balances.

I think we are actually wrong to stop this. If they dont make it , they will be back soon.
If they do, we should be proud of them.

imo.

[Hardy]

I think we're being very naive here. I can't think of anything we can do about it, but I think it's potentially a huge problem. The scale of the thing has changed dramatically and so have international mobility, the value of the professional contracts and the attractiveness of the whole package. It used to be the odd lad here and there - five or so in ten years maybe. But now that there have been a few high profile successes it's becoming a big thing in the AFL and all the clubs want their own Irishmen. I understand there are also advantages relating to loopholes in their draft system that make recruiting Irish lads a very attractive option. They're setting up training camps here, for feck sake.

Maybe it's just a fad that will pass, but I don't think we can sit around just hoping for that. I don't want to see the GAA and our All-Ireland championship being turned into a feeder/nursery system for the professional entertainment business in Australia and become the equivalent of the League of Ireland in soccer.

I'm delighted personally for any young lad who has a dream of making a living from "sport" and makes it. (IMO, if you're paid for it, I don't call it sport, but never mind). But that consideration has no place in the thinking of the GAA in countering a threat to its purpose, which is to provide personal growth and fulfilment to youngsters and a service to the community through sport, not to be a cost-free R&D department for a commercial business in Australia.

I have mixed feelings about trying to negotiate a deal to compensate clubs. Yes, it would be reasonable to see the club get compensation, but that just legitimises and commercialises the whole thing. 

I don't know what we can do, but I don't accept the "ah sure isn't it great for the lads" approach as a reasonable policy position for the GAA to adopt.

[neutral]

well put Hardy, burn them out!!!

[lynchbhoy]

I think we're being very naive here. I can't think of anything we can do about it, but I think it's potentially a huge problem. The scale of the thing has changed dramatically and so has international mobility, the value of the professional contracts and the attractiveness of the whole package. It used to be the odd lad here and there - five or so in ten years maybe. But now that there have been a few high profile successes it's becoming a big thing in the AFL and all the clubs want their own Irishmen. I understand there are also advantages relating to loopholes in their draft system that make recruiting Irish lads a very attractive option. They're setting up training camps here, for feck sake.

Maybe it's just a fad that will pass, but I don't think we can sit around just hoping for that. I don't want to see the GAA and our All-Ireland championship being turned into a feeder/nursery system for the professional entertainment business in Australia and become the equivalent of the League of Ireland in soccer.

I'm delighted personally for any young lad who has a dream of making a living from "sport" and makes it. (IMO, if you're paid for it, I don't call it sport, but never mind). But that consideration has no place in the thinking of the GAA in countering a threat to its purpose, which is to provide personal growth and fulfilment to youngsters and a service to the community through sport, not to be a cost-free R&D department for a commercial business in Australia.

I have mixed feelings about trying to negotiate a deal to compensate clubs. Yes, it would be reasonable to see the club get compensation, but that just legitimises and commercialises the whole thing. 

I don't know what we can do, but I don't accept the "ah sure isn't it great for the lads" approach as a reasonable policy position for the GAA to adopt.

I understand what you are saying, but in all honesty I could not consciously allow myself to stop a lad from playing another sport or go do his own thing.
From small coaching exp, you have to try and get the lads to keep coming to play football (hurling) but if they dont want to and have other interests, there is not much you can do.

Its not best for club sides, county teams even Irish intl rules side if players go off to play aussie rules (or rugby or soccer - Killian Sheridan of Cavan was the next great Cavan hope but he chose to play fo Celtic youths now reserves) but I dont think it is right to stop a lad going off to find his life elsewhere.
If so , why now - when we had swathes of Leitrim, Donegal, Clare, Kerry lads emigrating to foreign fields to work and play in decades not too long ago.
I look at it in that way.
Yes we are losing players, yes I would love them to stay here, but I think we would be wrong to try to stop them outwith getting them jobs with companies and/or trying to persuede them nicely to stay.
Next step is professionalism or semi pro - and we as an association can not sustain the finacial burden and overhead of this.
not naive , realistic.

[full back]

Jaysus Hardy.
Step into the 21st century man.
Do you understand that the GAA dont own any players?
If a fella is playing a sport as a hobby & decides to stop it - it is not anyones business.

As for its not a sport if you get paid for it 
That is the opinion of someone who is seriously stuck in the dark ages

[Hardy]

Where did I say we should stop anybody?

And have a good ould think before you ridicule amateur sport and the spirit of volunteerism as belonging to "the dark ages". For me, the coming age of individualism and pay-me-for-everything, may prove to be a lot darker than what you dismiss as "the dark ages".

There's a huge difference between sport for personal development and community service (as represented by the GAA) and professional entertainment run for the enrichment of a few and the exploitation of the community. Call it what you like, but it's not sport in my book. I can't see it as anything other than a branch of the global entertainment industry and I don't see a lot of difference between it and Disneyworld, to be honest.