AFL Invasion

[thebandit]

I heard that Colm Watters (Culloville & Armagh) is going to the camp as well.

[Hardy]

Fair play to the lads & best of luck to them

Absolutely

The GAA dont own anyone

Of course not

Now - what can we do to deal with this crisis in football? ALL our top young talent is being targeted and gaelic football, at the very top level, is becoming a sport for players who fail to make it in  professional "sport" in Australia and the minor championship is a feeder/nursery system for AFL. A bit like Irish soccer as it relates to the professional soccer business abroad. Is this what we want?

[orangeman]

Fair play to the lads & best of luck to them

Absolutely

The GAA dont own anyone

Of course not

Now - what can we do to deal with this crisis in football? ALL our top young talent is being targeted and gaelic football, at the very top level, is becoming a sport for players who fail to make it in  professional "sport" in Australia and the minor championship is a feeder/nursery system for AFL. A bit like Irish soccer as it relates to the professional soccer business abroad. Is this what we want?

No - but what can we do about it ?

[robertemmet]

I remember that guy Watters playing in a Corn na Nog final a while back for Colmans.  Good player.

Aye the Minor All-Ireland is the shoip window for the Aussie rules guys.

It is not good that we are potentially losing some of the most talented players in our game, but it is a terrific opportunity for a young lad.  You cannot blame them for considering it

[orangeman]

I remember that guy Watters playing in a Corn na Nog final a while back for Colmans.  Good player.

Aye the Minor All-Ireland is the shoip window for the Aussie rules guys.

It is not good that we are potentially losing some of the most talented players in our game, but it is a terrific opportunity for a young lad.  You cannot blame them for considering it

It might be a good shop window, but there's loads of other lads who don't play minor football who would be far better suited to Aussie rules.

[Hardy]

Fair play to the lads & best of luck to them

Absolutely

The GAA dont own anyone

Of course not

Now - what can we do to deal with this crisis in football? ALL our top young talent is being targeted and gaelic football, at the very top level, is becoming a sport for players who fail to make it in  professional "sport" in Australia and the minor championship is a feeder/nursery system for AFL. A bit like Irish soccer as it relates to the professional soccer business abroad. Is this what we want?

No - but what can we do about it ?

I don't know. That's why I asked the question. But if I was President of the GAA or the full-time paid Director General, it would be my job to figure it out and it would probably be my top priority. Maybe it is for Brennan and Duffy. I wouldn't know, but I'm not filled with confidence that it's occupying their every waking hour.

[orangeman]

Fair play to the lads & best of luck to them

Absolutely

The GAA dont own anyone

Of course not

Now - what can we do to deal with this crisis in football? ALL our top young talent is being targeted and gaelic football, at the very top level, is becoming a sport for players who fail to make it in  professional "sport" in Australia and the minor championship is a feeder/nursery system for AFL. A bit like Irish soccer as it relates to the professional soccer business abroad. Is this what we want?

No - but what can we do about it ?

I don't know. That's why I asked the question. But if I was President of the GAA or the full-time paid Director General, it would be my job to figure it out and it would probably be my top priority. Maybe it is for Brennan and Duffy. I wouldn't know, but I'm not filled with confidence that it's occupying their every waking hour.

Maybe this is the GAA's way of bringing in full time contracts in the same way rugby did ?

[zoyler]

Concerning Kevin Dyas, the Bigffoty Coltissue coming awasylingwood site has a thread saying that he has had a major muscle injury with tissue coming away from the bone - so bad it needed an operation.  There appears to be no question of him coming home - apart from holiday - but that recovery wll be protracted.  Best wishes to him anyway

[Jinxy]

The wha site?

[corn02]

Concerning Kevin Dyas, the Bigffoty Coltissue coming awasylingwood site has a thread saying that he has had a major muscle injury with tissue coming away from the bone - so bad it needed an operation.  There appears to be no question of him coming home - apart from holiday - but that recovery wll be protracted.  Best wishes to him anyway

Yeah out for a few months .

[The Real Laoislad]

Meredith signs for Kangaroos
26 November 2008


Former Laois minor star Conor Meredith has agreed terms for a two-year international rookie contract with the North Melbourne Kangaroos.

The O'Dempsey's clubman, who trained with the Brisbane Lions in July, had a week's trial alongside Antrim's Niall McKeever at Richmond last week. This week, Meredith had a trial with the Kangaroos, while McKeever trained with St. Kilda.

The pair travelled to Australia after catching the eye of Aussie Rules agent Ricky Nixon during his recruitment camp in Castlebar last August.
Meredith, who scored a hat-trick of goals in Laois' Leinster minor final victory over Carlow last year, said: "It's good news. I've got a two-year rookie contract with North Melbourne and it's a dream come true.

"I want to play professionally so the opportunity to have an AFL career is just too good to turn down."

There could be more bad news for Laois in the offing as it's believed Colm Parkinson is considering taking a year out to travel and will not be available to new senior manager Sean Dempsey in 2009.

[Jinxy]

In other news, Kevin Reilly has apparently turned down an offer to move to Oz.

[mattockranger]

Whats the latest on colm begley's situation has he been snapped up....or will he be playing for laois next year??

[Jinxy]

Looking like Collingwood will sign him. 3 Irish lads at the one club.

[orangeman]

Harte urges GAA to cut AFL ties
03 December 2008


Mickey Harte has reiterated his call for the GAA to immediately sever its links with the AFL after it was revealed that 11 of the 12 international players now listed by Australian Rules clubs are Irish.

The exception is Canada's Michael Pyke, and the Tyrone manager has expressed deep concern at the continued flow of young GAA stars to the AFL.

Four clubs have welcomed aboard new Irish players to their rookie lists - Louth's Brian Donnelly at
Adelaide, Longford's Michael Quinn at Essendon, Conor Meredith from Laois at North Melbourne, and Tyrone minor star Kyle Coney at Sydney Swans.

"We have to combat what's going on and the first step is to cut all official ties with the AFL," Harte said.

"We have no official diplomatic ties with other organisations and we should not be liaising with them while they walk all over us."

Following the success of controversial AFL agent Ricky Nixon's recruitment camps last August, Harte has suggested that the GAA establish academies to nurture rising young stars.

He explained: "We need to create a support mechanism to make it attractive for people to stay at home. Creating education-based academies of our own would give players a support mechanism and give them a lift in their career opportunities rather than taking a gamble."