I see Brendan Murphy has signed with the Sydney Swans

[Tyrone Dreamer]

I was suprised a few weeks ago when people basically said the aussie recruiting wasnt important. Although it may offer opportunities to individuals its not good for the gaa at all. Especially as it looks like the numbers may increase dramatically. The gaa over the last 10 years would have been much worse of without say O'se,McDermott,Tohill,Canavan,Joyce, Donnelan.If we are losing some of the best players of a generation it cant be good for the future. For example Martin Clarke could have had a huge part to play in the revival of Down footall and that can lead to more young players in a county taking up the game. Its also 2 fingers being put up by the aussies to the gaa despite a relationship between the 2 organisations going back over 20 years. They more than anyone should know were the gaa are comiong from with the ameteur status but now seem to be treating it as an easy touch. Unless some guarentees are brought into the international rules they should be told to stuff it. Losing any more than 1-2 players a year would be to much. It looks like the aussies could by next year be recruiting up to ten players, I also believe there recruting for this year may be far from over.

[Maximus Marillius]

The GAA should should pissoff and mind there own business and not interfer the professional career oppotunity that is on offer

[blast05]

Why are people getting in a tizzy about this now when the same has been going on with British soccer clubs for years.

[zoyler]

This is why we are likely to se a restart of the IR matches as the GAA seek to make some sort of arrangmewnt to control/limit the flow to OZ

[Tiger Craig]

The best that can be hoped for is to talk the Aussies into having a rule limiting the amount of Irish/overseas lads that a club can have on their books.

They already do - there is a limit of 2 international (not just Irish) rookies per club. Of course there is no limit on the senior panel - but then few clubs would risk using a senior list position (which are limited) on an untried commodity.

[heineken_on_tap]

Why are people getting in a tizzy about this now when the same has been going on with British soccer clubs for years.

Dont remember too many GAA players been poached by British soccer clubs. Tohill and Geraghty had trials alright but nothing came of them in the end

[the Deel Rover]

Why are people getting in a tizzy about this now when the same has been going on with British soccer clubs for years.

Dont remember too many GAA players been poached by British soccer clubs. Tohill and Geraghty had trials alright but nothing came of them in the end

Liam Doyle of  reading was a tipperary minor hurler played in a minor ai hurling final

[Hardy]

This is a huge issue. I can't believe people are dismissing it with "ah sure what harm - didn't Kevin Moran go to soccer" type stuff. English (or other) soccer corporations don't have scouting programmes in gaelic football. Some character from one of the Australian football companies was on TV the other night talking about their "extensive network" in Ireland. It appears practically every one of the companies in the AFL now has a full scale, well-funded  talent scouting programme here. And it doesn't seem there's a damn thing we can do about them turning the elite level of the GAA into a feeder system for their commercial enterprises.

Whatever way the GAA addresses this, it loses - pay the players, revive the abominable International Riots series, compensate the clubs (and thus create a commercial market in trained youngsters) or leave things as they are and accept the fact that we're now simply a youth academy for the AFL.

[orangeman]

Couldn't agree with you more there Hardy - I've been satying the exact same thing - we have got to react to it - it's has happened before and will happen again and we need to put something in place to at least get some compensation for somebody, especially the club.

[anglocelt39]

Sounds like the Dublin players are inherently good lads who have been poisoned and told to toughen up and dish the dirt at every opportunity - this cames from management- Dublin apparently have a backroom team of 15 /16 and somebody has decided they need to act in a disgraceful manner and behave like idiots - might there be a double agent in there in the form of a Meath man ?




Hardy, Hardy, wherefore art thou??



Christ man am I glad to hear from you, been scouring the obituaries pages for the last four days. I was sure something was up when the above disgraceful allegation was allowed to go un-challenged for all of four hours earlier this week on some anti Dublin thread or other. Life threathening experience or losing your touch?

[Uladh]

There is very little the GAA can do without going to a level approaching semi pro, where they can "contract" players in some way shape or form. in that scenario at least the aussies would be forced to buy out contracts and that in itself would end their interest. they will no longer take the free punt that the investment in an irsh youngster is now. couple of flights and circa £10k sterling for a couple of years doesn't cost them a thought.

The GPA is very quiet on all of this. they have very strong links with the afl player body and surely could be a very useful tool for the GAA in this battle?

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Maximus marillius - how is it none of the gaa's business? These players skills have been developed through thousands of hours of time by gaa volunteers and fine tuned in gaa grounds up and down the country which millions have been spent on. The aussies are specifically targeting these players due to skills picked in the gaa and its investment in the games. The aussies have put nothing into these lads developments and expect a free ride. They want the gaa to spend the money on thousands of kids and then when heyre ready to make it on the big stage pick the best one's. It is also bad for future promotion of the gaa. Without the top players in a relatively small player base the quality of games will obviously drop which will have a knock on effect on the numebrs watching and put of potential young players getting involved.

The difference from rugby and soccer are that on the whole these players are lost at a much younger age and are rarily targeted simply becasue they are gaa players. Top soccer and rugby clubs arent sending scouts to gaa games all over the country to pick out the best players and offer them contractrs.

[Declan]

I think its a disturbing trend alrigth but can't see a way that the GAA ca nstop it. Even if they cut all ties with the AFL what's to stop them coming back and scouting?

If a good young lad is tempted to try OZ for a few years I can't see how you can stop him unless the GAA uses fellas like Sean Cavanagh to front a campaign aimed at minor teams and explain why he chose not to go or use the Cavan lad who came home to explain why.

Put yourself in an 18/19 years olds shoes - talented footballer more than likely heading for college/Sigerson and given a two year opportunity down under. In the lack of any "message" from the GAA what's he going to do?   

[Bogball XV]

The GAA should should pissoff and mind there own business and not interfer the professional career oppotunity that is on offer

Agree, or pehaps offer some sort of package to the player to keep them here.  Rookie contracts are worth feck all, 10K odd p.a, surely the gaa could fund 20 or 30 such packages each year - it'd be a bit like the current scholarship programmes, except funded by the gaa and not the colleges. 

[heineken_on_tap]

Why are people getting in a tizzy about this now when the same has been going on with British soccer clubs for years.

Dont remember too many GAA players been poached by British soccer clubs. Tohill and Geraghty had trials alright but nothing came of them in the end

Liam Doyle of  reading was a tipperary minor hurler played in a minor ai hurling final

Fair point deel. I suppose the only thing about a young lad been brought to English soccer clubs is that they are brought there solely for their soccer skills. How good a footballer or hurler the lad is doesn't really matter.

But the Aussies are specifically targeting GAA players and the unfortunate thing is they are looking at the cream of the crop. Counties like Carlow can't really afford to be losing young players of this caliber.

I wonder when a young player hits off to Australia is there any financial gain for the club who trained the lad since he was under -10?? Very unlikely I suppose