Post by earl on Feb 18, 2008 13:11:45 GMT
The AFL has admitted Ireland will have a role to play in providing footballers for any expanded 18-team competition.
But chief executive Andrew Demetriou has shot down plans for a private recruiting network to plunder the cream of Ireland's Gaelic football talent.
Player manager Ricky Nixon has flagged an organised recruiting network to tap into Ireland, selling information to interested AFL clubs on the best young prospects from Gaelic football.
Demetriou publicly opposed that idea on Monday, though he admitted there was little that could be done stopping players from the amateur sport moving to the professional AFL.
The league is conscious of rebuilding bridges with Gaelic football's ruling body - the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) - after the international rules debacle in 2006 which sunk the series.
But with the AFL set to expand amid fears there is not enough local talent to sustain 18 clubs, Ireland could well find itself a higher priority for AFL recruiters seeking talent like Sydney's Tadhg Kennelly or Collingwood's Marty Clarke.
"The GAA understand why some of their players come over to Australia and certainly made it very clear to me that they can't stop a young Irish lad pursuing their dreams," Demetriou said.
"(But) I do think we can help the GAA in providing some framework that can assist them so we don't have people over there who are raiding their clubs and counties and promising them heaven and earth.
"In fact, out of every five Irish players there may be one that might succeed."
But Demetriou admitted the Irish experiment would have a role to play as part of a broader series of moves already under way to ensure fears of spreading the talent pool too thin were unfounded.
The threat of exposing its talent to AFL recruiters as expansion looms may well provide another reason for the GAA not to resurrect the international rules series.
The Test match hybrid of Australian and Gaelic football died in 2006 following Australia's on-field fighting and Brendan Fevola's off-field misbehaviour which angered the Irish.
The AFL is keen to re-establish the series, and Demetriou met with GAA officials earlier this month in Dubai where the issue was discussed.
Demetriou said he would put a recommendation to the AFL Commission at its next meeting on March 14 about whether the series would return to the calendar.
But chief executive Andrew Demetriou has shot down plans for a private recruiting network to plunder the cream of Ireland's Gaelic football talent.
Player manager Ricky Nixon has flagged an organised recruiting network to tap into Ireland, selling information to interested AFL clubs on the best young prospects from Gaelic football.
Demetriou publicly opposed that idea on Monday, though he admitted there was little that could be done stopping players from the amateur sport moving to the professional AFL.
The league is conscious of rebuilding bridges with Gaelic football's ruling body - the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) - after the international rules debacle in 2006 which sunk the series.
But with the AFL set to expand amid fears there is not enough local talent to sustain 18 clubs, Ireland could well find itself a higher priority for AFL recruiters seeking talent like Sydney's Tadhg Kennelly or Collingwood's Marty Clarke.
"The GAA understand why some of their players come over to Australia and certainly made it very clear to me that they can't stop a young Irish lad pursuing their dreams," Demetriou said.
"(But) I do think we can help the GAA in providing some framework that can assist them so we don't have people over there who are raiding their clubs and counties and promising them heaven and earth.
"In fact, out of every five Irish players there may be one that might succeed."
But Demetriou admitted the Irish experiment would have a role to play as part of a broader series of moves already under way to ensure fears of spreading the talent pool too thin were unfounded.
The threat of exposing its talent to AFL recruiters as expansion looms may well provide another reason for the GAA not to resurrect the international rules series.
The Test match hybrid of Australian and Gaelic football died in 2006 following Australia's on-field fighting and Brendan Fevola's off-field misbehaviour which angered the Irish.
The AFL is keen to re-establish the series, and Demetriou met with GAA officials earlier this month in Dubai where the issue was discussed.
Demetriou said he would put a recommendation to the AFL Commission at its next meeting on March 14 about whether the series would return to the calendar.
