It’s understandable that a county like Kerry is annoyed at losing young players to Australia but once you start extracting a price for footballers, you turn them into tradeable commodities
Malachy Clerkin: Looking for compensation when a player goes to the AFL is a terrible idea for the GAA
“The association has to take some action regarding the AFL’s constant scrutiny of our younger stars in Ireland. Procedures will have to be put in place where players cannot be taken without contributing to the club and counties who give so much to the development of these players.” Kerry GAA chairman Patrick O'Sullivan expressed strident views on Australian Football League scouts. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Conor McKenna aiming to become only the second player in history to win both a Sam Maguire and an AFL Premiership But there’s another layer to this over which it is worth taking extra care. The Kerry chairman would presumably have a fair level of support around the country for his idea of forcing AFL clubs to contribute when they come and spirit these young footballers away. It can’t just be in Kerry where this sticks in the craw.
It’s wrong though. Plain and simple. Even if the main motivation is for it to be a deterrent to the AFL clubs rather than to make any actual money, it’s still changing the nature of all those years of coaching at a stroke. Immediately, you’re making an official admission that your interest in these players is the worth of the finished product.
Ladies-Football-Championship Ladies-Gaelic-Football-Association-Lgfa
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Irish Times journalist wins award for coverage of mental healthOrlagh Lally spoke to Malachy Clerkin about mental health struggles and the death of her friend
Read more »
Malachy Clerkin: Brian Fenton, the best midfielder of his era and one of the greatest everAfter arriving full-formed in 2015, the Raheny midfielder anchored Dublin for a decade – nobody could match his mobility, accuracy and general game sense
Read more »
Malachy Clerkin: Whatever happens tonight, Na Fianna will celebrate it. What else would we do?Turns out you don’t know you belong to a club until the club gets fitted for a black hat and people start taking potshots at it
Read more »
Malachy Clerkin: Ireland can have no complaints as they could not take their chances when it matteredEileen Gleeson’s side didn’t die wondering about Euro 2025 but a petulant night from Katie McCabe wasted a lot of energy
Read more »
Former All-Ireland winner is hat-trick hero as Melbourne cruise into AFL finalWall has returned to Australia after joining Ireland's Rugby 7s team in their bid to qualify for the Paris Olympics
Read more »
Zach Tuohy Surpasses Jim Stynes in AFL Career AchievementsZach Tuohy's AFL career stands out among Irish players with 288 appearances and a Premiership medal, surpassing the late Jim Stynes. Tuohy's journey includes overcoming homesickness and managing a young family in Melbourne.
Read more »