AFL’S recruits make Mark all by themselves
WHEN Paul Earley became the first Irish man to play elite level Australian Rules football in 1984, Tadhg Kennelly was just past his third birthday. So, it clearly wasn’t the Kerryman’s brainwave that talented young Gaelic footballers could adapt to the game Down Under. In total, 51 Irish players have signed professional forms in Australia and Kennelly (inset), in his role as the AFL’S International Talent Manager, was involved in a low percentage of those. If he quit that post in the morning, the practice of AFL clubs looking in on emerging Gaelic talent wouldn’t halt. The matter has become topical lately largely because Kerry are affected and Kennelly, one of their own, is at the coalface. Mark O’connor (above) has adjusted to the game seamlessly after joining Geelong while it’s feared his former minor teammate David Clifford will follow him to Australia. Counties with smaller playing resources such as Laois and Kildare have been discommoded by AFL poaching to a much greater degree in the past, but with much less uproar. It would be naive to think outstanding talents like O’connor and Clifford wouldn’t have crossed the AFL radar only for Kennelly’s input. However, the argument the GAA should be more concerned about losing players to soccer and rugby doesn’t stack up either. Those players excelled at those particular sports but AFL clubs are taking Irish players due to their prowess in Gaelic football, which is why the anger of people like former Kerry footballer Sean O’sullivan is understandable.