Kyle Coney set to reject Aussie Rules?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Can anyone post the article in this week's Gaelic Life about Mickey Harte bemoaning the loss of Kyle of Aussie Rules ??.

Sorry orangeman, had meant to get back to you on this: it's not possible to copy and paste from Gaelic Life any more (can't save as a pdf -- they've removed that feature).

Anyway, here's that Heaney article in today's Irish News:

Coney move could benefit Red Hands in the long term
Against the Breeze
By Paddy Heaney in Kerry

KYLE Coney has confirmed that he will be honouring the contract he signed with the Sydney Swans and no-one in Tyrone should be annoyed to see the teenager go.

It could prove to be a huge blessing in disguise for Tyrone football even though some Red Hand gaels will find it hard to share that opinion.

Tyrone have just completed the All-Ireland double at senior and minor level while St Patrick's Dungannon are the All-Ireland colleges champions. The county is rapidly becoming the Kerry of the north.

Many Tyrone supporters would believe that if Coney stuck around then he would significantly enhance the chances of the Sam Maguire Cup becoming a regular visitor to their county. But the record books and Tyrone's recent history show us that it doesn't quite work like that.

Kerry were the last county to complete the senior and minor double. In 1980, the seniors beat Offaly and the minors beat Derry. Yet, four years later, only two members from that minor team, Ambrose O'Donovan and Tom Spillane, had graduated to the senior side that lifted Sam.

The days of teenagers waltzing onto senior teams are coming to an end. Kerry's Tommy Walsh is a shoo-in for this year's Young Player of the Year award. He's virtually the only player under 21 years of age who made any impact in this year's Championship.

Senior football is no place for boys and there is no way Mickey Harte would parachute Coney into the senior team. Minors need a few years to adjust to the physicality of senior football.

Take the example of Philip Jordan, a 28-year-old in the prime of his career. Jordan has trained diligently since he won an All-Ireland minor medal a decade ago. This year, Jordan believes he has trained harder than at any other time in his career.

Before Tyrone played Wexford in the All-Ireland semi-final, he calculated that he did 200 sessions since the New Year (this included his commitments with Tyrone, the Moy, weights, and recovery sessions). The hidden statistic is that there were only 43 evenings since the start of the year when Jordan was not engaged in some activity related to football.

This explains why he could score three points from centre half-back against Wexford. It also explains why a raw 18-year-old like Coney would be out of his depth in the company of men like Philip Jordan.

The greatest likelihood is that Coney would spend the next two years on the fringes of the senior side as he becomes equipped to deal with the pace and power of senior football.

A two-year stint in Australia could actually expedite Coney's progress into Tyrone's first team.

If, for whatever reasons, Coney doesn't stay in the AFL after his two-year rookie contract has expired, then he would return to Ireland as the fittest and strongest young footballer in Tyrone.

When Coney flies to Sydney next month, he will begin five months of intense pre-season training. He'll do as much in those five months as an average inter-county footballer would do in a year.

During a recent conversation with Kevin Dyas, the former Armagh panellist told me about the training he did with Collingwood last year.

They started their pre-season campaign with a trip to South Africa where they trained at high altitude. When they returned to Melbourne, a standard week would start on a Monday with a two-and-a-half-hour outdoor session. After each drill, there would be a 300-metre sprint. The players would also do a range of exercises to improve their core stability and leg muscles.

One of these exercises involved two players standing with a Swiss Ball between them. They'd start in the middle of the pitch and the objective was to see who could push their opponent the farthest distance down the pitch. They'd also do regular two-kilometre time trial runs.

After this two-and-a-half-hour session, the squad would eat a meal – and then re-group for a one-and-a-half-hour weights session.

Having spent a season with the Armagh seniors, Dyas was no stranger to pumping iron, but there is no comparison between amateur and professional training.

With Armagh, Dyas worked on four basic upper body exercises. He did nine different sets with Collingwood.

And because his upper body was less developed than the Australians', Dyas had to do extra training with the weights coach.

Whereas the Gaelic footballer must go to work the morning after a hard night's training, the AFL professional can focus on recovery.

During pre-season, the Collingwood players would start each Tuesday with a 45-minute massage. Physios would be available to treat any tweaks or complaints.

After the massage they'd hop on the exercise bike to loosen the legs and this would be followed by a testing session in the swimming pool. The recovery day finished with iced baths.

On Wednesday, the Collingwood squad would be back on the field for a repeat of the Monday dosage. Thursday would be for recovery  before the final hard session of the week on Friday.

Kyle Coney will start a similar pre-season campaign when he joins the Sydney Swans next month.

APART from living the life of a professional athlete, Coney will also be able to enjoy the experience of living in Australia – and it won't be at his own expense.

If he proves to be a success, then the Ardboe lad has a chance of living in a great country, where it doesn't rain all year, with all the perks that come with being a professional footballer.

It would be narrow-minded to deny anyone this opportunity. Lots of Gaelic footballers abandon the game in order to focus on professional careers.

Let's remember that Coney has just left Holy Trinity in Cookstown. He's not going to university so he can't look forward to the generous income guaranteed by a career in accountancy, law, or medicine.

He works in the construction industry, which is currently in the grip of a chronic slowdown. Why would he not try his luck at a game that could leave him financially set up for life?

And, if it doesn't work out, it's no big deal. Coney could return to Tyrone ready to step into the senior side.

Again, this isn't idle conjecture. It's based on a precedent. Like Coney, Anthony Tohill flew to Australia a month after he helped Derry win the All-Ireland minor title in 1989.

Dermot McNicholl recalled that Tohill went out to the Melbourne Demons "as a boy, but came home a man".

When Tohill returned in 1991, he stepped straight into the Derry senior side. The following year he won his first Allstar at right half-forward.

It's easy to see a similar scenario unfolding with Kyle Coney. The Tyrone minors who won All-Ireland medals in 2004 and graduated to this year's senior squad were only substitutes for the All-Ireland final. And let's bear in mind that Raymond Mulgrew, Colm Cavanagh, and PJ Quinn have spent the last four years in the dear old Emerald Isle.

If Kyle Coney returns to Tyrone after a few years of professional training under his belt then it's unlikely that he will spend much time watching the seniors from the sideline.

[Yes I Would]

From what i have seen of the lad which to be honest hasnt been a whole lot, i dont think any county even Tyrone can afford to be losing a player even at 18 or 19 years old who has the ability to kick points from distance consistently.

[maggie]

Fear- yet again, you are a leg-end!!!!

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

No worries maggie, better than being a fag-end, I suppose 

[INDIANA]

rarely have i read such a pile of garbage. exceptional talents exist in all walks of life and he's one of them. would play senior championship for tyrone next year if he was available. absolutely no doubt.

[screenexile]

rarely have i read such a pile of garbage. exceptional talents exist in all walks of life and he's one of them. would play senior championship for tyrone next year if he was available. absolutely no doubt.

No chance! Mickey Harte would never throw him into Championship football at such an early age and with the team he has there is absolutely no need to. I honestly think COney would not be consitently in the team for another 2 years!

[INDIANA]

bullshit, a team that is slightly short on firepower would wait 2 years to introduce the best minor in the country, have to be having a laugh. 1 year max. added to that he has the size as well, makes it a foregone conclusion as well.

[SidelineKick]

i agree with exile. he doesnt have the size he has the height, big difference. harte is a shrewd man and would know better than to throw him into the senior scene unprepared. look at where mulgrew is at now after a similar scenario. did he get any championship football this year??

[orangeman]

It's hard to compare players as always but Coney is a different player to Mulgrew - I reckon he could survive alright in Mickey's team next year.

[EC Unique]

Lads, calm down. Coney is an exeptional talent but this was evedent at minor level. On Saturday I watched him playing for Ardboe against Errigal. He was marked very well by a lad who will never play for Tyrone. He looked sharpish but did not stand out in a club match. The step from minor football to senior football is a large one. Anyone who thinks he would play senior Championship football for Tyrone next year is not in touch with what it takes get a start on the Tyrone team. He will be a star for Tyrone if not in Aussie but give him 2 or 3 years.

[The Gs Man]

Never mind the Coney situation.......I wouldn't fancy Dyas' training schedule!  Thats some going.

[orangeman]

Never mind the Coney situation.......I wouldn't fancy Dyas' training schedule!  Thats some going.

I was just thinking the same myself.

[Jinxy]

I think there's an element here of the lad going away is always the great white hope. I'd wager the centre back would be the first player off that minor team to play for the seniors as he seemed very intelligent on the ball.

[the Deel Rover]

I think there's an element here of the lad going away is always the great white hope. I'd wager the centre back would be the first player off that minor team to play for the seniors as he seemed very intelligent on the ball.

ye thought he was excellent for tyrone the 1st day as well jinxy , think the tyrone full forward is one for the future as well even though the 2nd he seemed to play further out the pitch and wasn't as effective imo as he was the 1st match when he was absoulutely brilliant

[orangeman]

The releases stated that: "Aisake O'hAilpin was recruited from Cork, Ireland as an International Rookie in the 2005 NAB AFL Rookie Draft (4th round selection). He was elevated to the Carlton senior list in 2007 but did not play a senior game".