Cavanagh ponders move to Lions’ den

TYRONE footballer Seán Cavanagh is considering a contract offer from AFL club, the Brisbane Lions.

The three-time Premiership champions want the All-Ireland winner to sign a two-year deal.

“They’ve made me a contract offer to go over for a couple of years,” Cavanagh admitted yesterday.

“There’s a lot of things to take into account when making the decisions. I’ve been talking things over with Mickey Harte, my friends and family and Gerard Shelley, the agent for the Brisbane Lions.

“There’s nothing sorted out yet but the contract offer is there and it’s something to think about.”

Brisbane begin pre-season training next month. Cavanagh must make his decision before the conclusion of the International Compromise Rules Series in Australia.

The 22-year-old has won two All-Ireland medals, two National Leagues, one Ulster title and two Allstars in service of the Tyrone seniors. It is his power, strength and work rate with the side which first attracted the Queensland team to his talents.

Though stressing that he has yet to make a decision, Cavanagh highlighted the risks of such a move.

“Going to the AFL, you have to be sure of your suitability to the game, I’m not sure whether I would suit it. I have an awful lot at home here as well, with the accountancy practice, and there is an awful lot more here to be left behind. The way things are going with Tyrone, I’d like to think things could improve in the future and that I could become a better player and hopefully help Tyrone win more All-Irelands.”

Cavanagh will also take the opportunity to quiz some of the Australian players while on International Rules duty with Pete McGrath’s squad in the upcoming weeks, and he has spoken to Tadhg Kennelly and Setanta Ó hAilpín about their experiences with the Sydney Swans and Carlton Blues respectively.

“I would have spoken to them both last year at the International Rules about the whole transformation from Gaelic football to Aussie Rules but, at the end of the day, I’m 22 now, Tadhg and Setanta went over there when they were 18 or 19.

“They have three years of a head-start on me so it will be significantly harder for me to make it over there.”

Events in Dublin yesterday, where the GPA survey highlighted a clamour for semi-professionalism among GAA players, have also coloured his thinking.

Players like Kennelly and Ó hAilpín moved to Australia to experience life as professional sportsmen not because of any great love for Aussie Rules and, if GAA players were better reimbursed for their efforts, that motive would be seriously diluted.

“With this (semi-professional) thing going on in the GAA at the minute there probably is a good opportunity for me to cover myself financially as well.

“If this thing kicks off, the opportunities here could keep me in Ireland with the GAA.”