AFL Invasion

[Bensars]

I cant see that big a problem with it.

Its allowing young players to have the chance of a lifetime.  Its not that long ago that an awful lot of players where heading to the states. This did not affect the game at home with very little said about it.

Because a few coaches come scouting for players, should not cause outright panic or the need to change the fabric of the GAA

[INDIANA]

the point you're all missing is that we don't have to make it easy for them. There isn't much the Gaa can do, you don't need a degree in nuclear physics to realise that, but why give them an easy ride over it? But i follow the game over there and a lot of those clubs don't have the facilities to look after our lads in terms of universities etc. Some do, but a lot don't and this scout is a cowboy, you only have to see the way he conducts his business. There isn't pots of Gold over there only to the select minority.

[RadioGAAGAA]

Lads - there is only one answer to put a stip to this and that is to allow GAA players go professional.

That better not happen.




I know what... nuke Australia 

[bingobus]

Lads, their is far more young lads going to play soccer/rugby than Aussie rules and these lads are been lost to GAA. Monaghan minors played Derry last week - Mark Connolly from Clones has already signed for Wolves and played midfield on Saturday, an excellent talent. Seen him as a 15 year old destroy our minor team. Two others on the team - Aaron McCarey and Pete Dooney (both 16) are on the Irish U17 squads and have been across the water already and could well land their already.

In the past Monaghan have lost Jonathon Douglas and Barry Conlon after county minor level.

Can we blame the lads or the soccer clubs? No, of course not. Is there anything we can realisticaly do to stop these professional sports from taking our players? No, no contracts, ameteur status etc.

Can we benefit from Aussie Rules scouts? Potentially. If they are going to come and they will, charge them indirectly through the International rules. Look for an increased share of the profits from the games at the very least.

We are caught between a rock and a hard place. Only option is to make these trials as hard as possible for the Oz scouts to hold.

[Bensars]

[ExiledGael]

The BBC did a piece on the Aussie Rules poaching our young players including an interview with that scout Scholly
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7466369.stm

[Tyrone Dreamer]

I cant see that big a problem with it.

Its allowing young players to have the chance of a lifetime.  Its not that long ago that an awful lot of players where heading to the states. This did not affect the game at home with very little said about it.

Because a few coaches come scouting for players, should not cause outright panic or the need to change the fabric of the GAA

Aye I cant see the problem either with it. Sure whats the big deal about losing 20 of your best young talents each year who will be the shop window for the gaa for attracting youngsters and the general public to our games for years to come. Sure there was plenty of Tohills, Canavans, Fitzgeralds playing football all over the country and losing them would have been no big deal. Why would the gaa complain about the aussies hand picking the very best players who have been given years of free coaching at the time and effort of gaa members. Maybe we should even start playing aussie rules instead of gaelic football and then even more players would have a chance of making it.

Max my point was to have a decent paid coaching job for the best younger players who would be interested in getting the relevant qualifications. These players would be the best people to sell the games to the youth in schools and clubs throughout the country. Obviously the wages wouldnt come close to matching that of a top Aussie rules player but would have other benefits. The player could contine playing for their club/county. They would have job security which obviously wouldnt be the case in Austraillia were a lot of players wont make it. They could stay at home,not every young person wants to move to the other side of the world. It also has to be remembered that Aussie Rules careers are very short and by the time the players actually make it the potential to make big money is very limited.

[Gnevin]

Since the AFL has started making a big push over here in 2000 or so 8 Irish players have made the big time of that 2 where hurlers .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Irish_Australian_rules_footballers

[ziggysego]

The AFL now have the names and contact details of every underaged player in the country.

[AZOffaly]

In fairness GNevin, this new 'big push' seems to be far more organised and efficient than the random sort of scouting that was going on.

[GaillimhIarthair]

What sort of money do regular AFL players make in a season? 

[HeaveHo]

Average salary is now $200,000 AUD (140,000 Euros). Not Ronaldo's wage but not a pauper's existence.

Kennelly would be on $500,000 AUD plus.

[HeaveHo]

Highest paid would be close to $1,000,000 (Brown or Judd). They might earn the same again in endorsements plus they get cut into all the good deals by business people supporting the respective clubs.

Rookies get $80,000 per annum which drags the average salary down to $200,000.

[wanderer]

I could be wrong here, but an Aussie lad once told me that the AFL are desperate for the International Rules series to continue. His reasoning was something along the lines off, because they play another country (from another continent) it is classified as an international sport. Therefore under some sort of Aussie Sporting body, they are entitled to all sorts of grants and use of grounds that they wouldn't otherwise be allowed to use. Now this was said in a pub about 3 years ago, but has anyone else heard anything along those lines?
Apparently at that stage, the Aussies were bending over backways without trying to make it look so, so that the series was continuing to be attractive to Ireland. This was meant to be getting decent coloumn inches over there, cause lots of journalists were using the "we're massive and don't need help from them" sort of thing. Someone correct me if this was all a load of shite

[HeaveHo]

That is wrong Wanderer. The AFL have more money than a pig can shit. They sold the TV rights for 5 years for 468 million Euro for example. They want the IR so they can trumpet an international option for AFL players.