AFL set for flood of Irish, says Kennelly

TADHG KENNELLY has predicted that the number of young Irish players trying their hand in the AFL could treble within three years and has called for the GAA to be compensated for their losses.

Four Irish rookies were included in the annual draft down under last week after the startling successes of Kennelly and others like Martin Clarke, Colm Begley and Setanta Ó hAilpín.

“It’s not a flood of players coming out (yet),” Kennelly told Fox Sports in Australia. “There’s 10 players here now but in two or three years time there could be 30 and that’s a flood. I say to any player in Ireland who has an opportunity to come out here that it’s a win-win situation and there’s no way you can lose.”