Clarke not going back to Collingwood?

[orchard 8195]

Again i dont have a personal vendetta against Marty Clarke nor do i have any particular dislikening towards down but i have said previously on this board that he is extremely hyped up by the media. I am also of the opinion that his time at aussie rules has had a negative impact on his Gaelic Football game. Paul you say that he isnt as pacey as other down players and cant take players on. I think this due to bulking up too much while in Australia and in the Aussie Rules game he was not able to take players on. Before he left anybody that saw the lad play could testify to his absolutly blistering pace and ball carrying ability. I know players have to adapt to be able to play senior intercounty football but i think a lotve what marked him out as an underage protege he has lost. People will say that you have to adapt to play senior intercounty but name to me another underage talent who was a success at senior level and didnt have the very same playing style as he did throughout. The lad will undoubtidly be a big miss to down football but in my opinion not as big a miss as if Danny Hughes or Benny Coulter would be. Look if he declared for Armagh tomorrow id be over the moon but i just feel he is slightly over rated. Like give me Pa Kelly, Paul Kerrigan, Dec/Dar o sull, Dan Hughes james kavanagh, Sean Cavanagh before him.

A very fair post I think, also I agree with you on the point you made about bulking up. Though you are wrong about players not changing their style to step up to seniors. Many midfielders become half backs because they don'e grow enough between minor & senior and specifically Greg Blaney started as a speedy poaching full forward and ended as an all star play-maker. But I understand your point and it is correct that though he is OUR most influential player there are better players out there. However you listed some of the best players around as a comparison and that alone says quite a lot doesn't it?

One thing for sure is that he is not "the most over-rated player of recent times" that is as equally unfair as claiming he is the best player of recent times.

But yeah, perhaps a little over-hyped and certainly probably because of a prurient obsession of the media that anyone who has ever been selected for an Aussie Rules team must automatically be a Gaelic football great!!!

just using your point about underage players and midfield. Alotve the time in underage and even at minor u put ur best player into midfield as thats the place they can have most influence on the game  but at senior level play in their most natural positions for example Graham Geraghty (Arguably played his best football at half back and half forward), seamus moynihan, Brian Dooher and even r own Kevin Dyas did on their last year of minor. Also the big hallion of a midfielder at minor who makes it at senior v rarely plays in a diff position barring ff or something. However i will def take your point on Blayney but on the whole the successful underage talents do play a very similar game Not necessesarily in the same position throught their careers. Just using a down example ur own manager wee james. The players i listed were all half forwards who are possibly better than marty at this moment and i didnt even include the best there is atm in Galvin.

[HeaveHo]

Zach Tuohey will play his first AFL game on the weekend for Carlton. This will be first time since the Stynes brothers back in the 90's that two Irish lads have turned out for the same AFL side. Apparently Tuohey has been in excellent form with his VFL club (reserve grade for Victorian based AFL clubs) and is coming off a 27 possession game which generally indicates good form. Apparently his parents will be at game (in Adelaide) which is a nice touch.