Carlton Target Young Irish Talent

Xavi6

From today's West Australian Newspaper:

Teenage Gaelic star offered cash to commit to Carlton

Carlton has recently signed four Irish teenagers in a bid to unearth fresh international talent as part of the club's aggressive to climb back to the top of the AFL
Having already lured the league's number 1 player in Chris judd and secured a prized priority draft pick, the clun has adopted old-style recruiting methods to woo talented Gaelic footballers.
Thay had earlier convinced 2007 All-Ireland finalist Michael Shields to go to Melbourne next month to spend pre-season with the Blues, with a view to placing the 20-year-old on their senior list.
Carlton football operations manager Steve Icke was due in Dublin last night for meetings with the four teenage Gaelic footballers.
They have been offered €1000 ($1600) each, on the condition they choose the Blues should they decide to try their luck in Australia.

It goes on.....

The move could cause some consternation in Ireland which two years ago was threatening to call off the international rules series as a result of AFL clubs luring their leading players to Australia.
However a sense of inevitablility seems to have prevailed over the Gaelic Athletic Association.
Shields is the fourth Gaelic footballer heading to AFL pre-season training this year.
Already Carlow 18-year-old Brendan Murphy has committed to Sydney. Mayo's Pierce Handley will train with Brisbane next month and Collingwood have secured Kevin Dyass.

The club itself isn't confirming too much

http://carltonfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/4311/Default.aspx?newsId=52753

Icke denies reports of Irish signings

CARLTON has refuted claims in newspaper reports that they have signed four Irish players however football operations manager Steven Icke has confirmed that the Blues have offered Cork defender Michael Shields the opportunity to join the club for a trial during pre-season.

"We haven't signed anyone," Icke says. "All we've done with Michael Shields is offer him the opportunity to come to Carlton and do a pre-season training camp.

"If he likes what he sees and we like what we see, we may be in a position to offer him a contract."

The Corkman, who played in his county's losing All-Ireland final bid against Kerry, wouldn't be short of company from home.

The club already has two Irish players from Cork in Setanta O'hAilpin and his younger brother Aisake, who is believed to be close to an upgrade to the senior list despite the fact a groin injury ended his season prematurely this year.

It was also reported that the club had signed three other teenagers from Galway, Laois and Armagh and were offering $1600 apiece on the condition they chose the Blues should they decide to try to make the grade in the AFL.

"I am meeting with some other players but I'm not going to state who they are.

"That's all wrong (regarding payments). No payments have been made. I'm here to talk to some people but there are no offers being made at this stage."

Icke, who arrived in Dublin late on Tuesday night, says he hasn't even met up with Shields yet.

"I haven't had any indication from Michael as to whether he'll accept our offer."

When asked if he is confident that the O'hAilpins will have Irish company next year, the football manager remains coy.

"They've made their (the O'hAilpins) spare bed up; I don't know whether that's an indication or not," he laughed.

Now I'm by no means an avid GAA supporter but I can't imagine Counties being too happy at losing their best young talents, although I know money talks.

The main reason for recruiting in Ireland is that it doesn't have any implications with the national draft over here so team's basically get free extra players.

Just wondering if anyone here has an opinion on the issue?

An Citeog

It 's definitely a shame to be losing some of our best young players but you can't really deny them the chance of turning professional. Opinions are mixed throughout the GAA community and outflow of players is only going to keep getting bigger.

from hoganstand.com wrote:

Aussie Rules mentor calls for Irish academy
09 August 2007

An Aussie Rules official has called on the AFL to set up its own academy of excellence in Ireland.

Despite certain objections by the GAA, Peter Jess says a training academy would allow the AFL to control and cap the number of players travelling out to Australia to join professional clubs.

"The AFL should focus on an AFL academy being set up in Europe, preferably in Ireland, to give a pathway for young footballers to get into the AFL rather than spending a heap of money in the African continent," Jess declared.

Jess recently returned from Ireland wehre he admitted ten AFL clubs were watching county minor stars in action over recent weeks.

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=81626

This is what the president of the GAA, Nickey Brennan, had to say on the manner:

hoganstand.com wrote:

Brennan slams ’arrogant’ Aussies
02 August 2007

GAA president Nickey Brennan has blasted the ’arrogance’ of AFL clubs poaching young football talent in Ireland.

Brennan was due to meet with Aussie Rules officials on a recent visit to the US, but they pulled out just days beforehand. He explained that it was purely a logistical decision and that the talks have been rescheduled for October, but he admits his growing concern over player poaching.

“It’s something that has been on the agenda and we will be bringing it up again. I am certainly not happy about it,” he said.

“There seems to be a level of arrogance about some of the people involved in taking young lads out at this stage.”

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos claimed earlier this week that the only thing that had prevented a mass recruitment raid by AFL clubs before now was respect for the International Rules series, which the GAA has opted out of for this year at least.

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=81359

Whereas, this is what the player's view on it is:

hoganstand.com wrote:

GPA chief blasts Brennan’s AFL comments
03 August 2007

GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell has slammed comments made by GAA president Nickey Brennan regarding Aussie Rules clubs who try to poach up-and-coming GAA stars.

Brennan hit out at AFL clubs who have been linked with such talents as Mayo’s Pierce Hanley, Laois’ Conor Meredith and Carlow wonderkid Brendan Murphy, describing them as “arrogant”.

But the GPA feels that the GAA has no business trying to dictate what career path a young player should take given their amateur ethos.

“The GAA has no authority to determine the career choice of any player and we believe that these injudicious remarks only serve to make life more difficult for these young men,” Farrell blasted.

“The GAA is unequivocal about professionalism – if you want professional sport, then the GAA is not for you. However, surely it is stretching it to try and deter a player from pursuing a professional sport in a different code.

“The president also fails to point out the drain of young talent to other codes in Ireland – probably of far more concern to GAA members.

“The GPA is committed to the amateur ethos of the GAA but is supportive of any young player who wants to pursue a professional career in any sport.”

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=81410

hoganstand.com wrote:

Earley: You can’t stop them
07 October 2006

Former Roscommon player Paul Earley believes there is little the GAA can do to stop Australian Rules clubs from recruiting young GAA stars.

And Earley, who played Aussie Rules with Melbourne for a period in the 1980s, is opposed to GAA president Nickey Brennan’s plans to curb the flow of talent to Australia.

He said: “We’re an amateur organisation. I think that denying young players who want a professional career in a code that’s most similar to Gaelic football is wrong.

“Obviously I played out there and appreciated first-hand what it was like and the experience that I had.”

Earley added: “The GAA has probably benefited more from the experiment than the downside of it.

“Players went out for a couple of years and came back and were much better for it, and many of them made a great impact on the game over here.

“Anthony Tohill, Colin Corkery, Brian Stynes, Colm McMenamin, Niall Buckley, Dermot McNicholl – they’re names that come to mind.”

http://www.hoganstand.com/Roscommon/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=67443

There's not really much you can do to stop it if the players choose to change codes and it's an opportunity of a lifetime for some. It's not so much the money as the chance to play a professional sport that drives them.

Carlton wrote:

The move could cause some consternation in Ireland which two years ago was threatening to call off the international rules series as a result of AFL clubs luring their leading players to Australia.

That's blatantly untrue aswell. The reason the series was called off was because of the violence and lack of any proper refereeing. Both organisations are looking at ways to combat this, including introducing rugby league referees. I don't think the series is completely gone but it's probably better for the Irish players, seeing as the Aussies have adapted to the round ball and are far superior to us.

I don't really have a problem with players choosing to go the Aussie Rules route because it's their own choice whether they do so or not. It's a shame for gaelic football to lose some of our best young talents but you can't really blame the players. They don't owe anything to the GAA either.

Anyway, hurling is a far superior game! That and it gives Dublin more of a chance of winning an All Ireland in the next few years, seeing as the Aussies don't want our players!

EDIT: Here's a more recent quote from Nickey Brennan on the matter:

hoganstand.com wrote:

’Players have free choice’ - Brennan
02 October 2007

GAA President Nickey Brennan says he can’t envisage rules being put in place to stop young GAA stars joining Aussie Rules clubs because "it’s their free choice."

Brennan disclosed that the GAA will be meeting with AFL bosses within the next three weeks to see if there’s a will to revive the International Rules series but he says the GAA is powerless to prevent the "talent drain" to Australia.

"The feedback I’m getting is that there’s an annoyance there (from county boards)," Brennan explained. "But I’ve said all along that we can’t stop these young players from going.

"It’s their free choice and certainly I think we will not be putting rules in place to stop it.

"Whether or not we continue with the International Rules games I honestly don’t think that will have any great impact on whether these players travel Down Under to play Aussie Rules."

http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=84139

corkfella

personally i wud b gutted to see shields go, grt player who has huge potential. heard they are also looking at a young guy called sheehan from the eire og club in cork 16 yr old who was minor this year. was sad to see a talent like setanta lost but no one wud begrudge them d opportunity to try their luck at becoming a professional sportsman. i dont think there is anything nicky or d gaa can do as aftr all they are an amateur assocation.

sgthighway

Rumour has it that Michael Martyn from Cortoon Shamrocks in Galway has signed with Carlton. Big loss to Cortoon Shamrocks.

kevmy

Yeah we've lost Pearse Hanley an absolutely fantastic talent. He gave one of the best individual displays I've ever seen in the U21 championship last year against Ros.

He could have been the next Ciaran Mc for us. Disappointing but you can't fault him for choosing to go.

sgthighway

kevmy wrote: »

He could have been the next Ciaran Mc for us.

Please don't make fun of Pearse.