Brennan points to risks in AFL offers

While it's hard to ignore the noticeable increase in the number of players taking up contracts or trials with Australian Rules football clubs, the GAA admit there is nothing they can do about it. Instead GAA president Nickey Brennan yesterday outlined some of the risks involved.

In the week where Cork senior Michael Shields took up a three-week trial with the Melbourne club Carlton Blues, Brennan expressed the view that the dream of playing in the AFL rarely becomes a reality and that players who take up any offer should be particularly careful about turning their backs on third-level education.

"I've said it before that you can't blame these young players," said Brennan. "They have a dream. But the fact of the matter is the vast majority of them won't be a success out there. History has shown that, and I don't think that is going to change.

"I also think it's important, because of the age at which they're going, it's imperative the clubs out there provide some education for them as well. So at least if it's not a success on the field they come back with some qualification, especially bearing in mind most of these players have opted out of third-level college, in some cases where the GAA has provided a bursary. So I think the educational role is vital."

There is increasing evidence the AFL are taking a more aggressive approach to recruitment, targeting not only the best underage GAA talents but also senior players such a Shields, and this is partly explained by a change in emphasis in Australian Rules coaching, which now prizes the more athletic ball-carriers, who can operate at speed on the wing.

The more recent recruits, including Armagh's Kevin Dyas, Mayo's Pierce Hanley and Carlow's Brendan Murphy, all have these qualities, but again Brennan is adamant the GAA are effectively curbed in trying to stem any such recruitment drive.

"Sure they've had scouts for a long time, including some former GAA players. There's nothing new in that. Of course it's a concern, but I do wonder if they go will they lose some on this side?

"A top intercounty player can have a very good lifestyle out of his involvement in the GAA, and rightly so.

"But we don't have any rights over these players. They're members of a club, an amateur organisation. They're confined to playing within their parish, unless they move, but that's as far as we can go.

"If these players up and move then it's no different from someone playing in America. It's a free choice. And our association can't compel them to stay at home. All we can do is outline the challenges they face out there."

The lure of Australian football was again highlighted in this week's BBC1 Northern Ireland programme Season Ticket, which featured a report on the former Down All-Ireland-winning minor Martin Clarke.

Still only 19, Clarke started the season playing for Collingwood's reserve side, Williamstown, and ended up playing before almost 100,000 fans as part of the first team challenging for the Aussie Rules title. He made his debut against the Sydney Swans, just eight months after first kicking the oval ball.

In the meantime, the GAA will continue their efforts to revive the International Rules with Australia, which some view as a shop window for such recruitment. Brennan met his AFL counterparts last month, and another meeting is fixed for January.

"It was getting our relationship back on track, and I would expect we'll meet again in January and exchange some documents before that date, outlining certain matters," he said. "Irrespective of whether there is another series or not, the first thing we needed to do was get a working relationship back on track, because we have issues in common."

Brennan, however, declined to comment on the potential Gaelic Players Association ballot for strike action, which was extended until next Wednesday, except to say the negotiations over player-welfare grants are continuing with the Minister for Sport, Séamus Brennan, and the Irish Sports Council.

"We were invited in by the Minister, and we're happy to join his efforts. We very much appreciate the manner in which he has taken up this. When and if it can be resolved I simply don't know. But it won't be for any want of trying on the part of the GAA."