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.”

Though the GAA loses far more players to the likes of soccer and rugby without any public outcry, the disappearance of some of the game’s top youngsters to Australia has been a hot potato ever since Kennelly’s decision to leave Kerry for Sydney.

However, the 2005 Premiership winner believes that far more Irish players turn down the chance to play in the AFL than accept it.

“People probably don’t know it but there’s probably been 20 people offered in the last eight years that I’ve been here and a lot haven’t taken up on it,” said Kennelly.

“A lot of the guys in the better counties decide not to come because they want to win an All-Ireland medal, which is something they’ve always dreamed about.”

The GAA is due to meet their AFL counterparts next month to discuss the future of the controversial International Rules series while they will also talk about the recruitment of Irish players.

While economic and marketing considerations are almost certain to see the return of the Rules series at senior level, there have been numerous calls to discontinue permanently the U17 version which is viewed in some circles as a shop window for AFL clubs.

GAA president Nickey Brennan has said there is little the Association can do to prevent the talent drain to Australia but other officials, including Laois secretary Niall Handy, believe otherwise.

While compensation would be a poor second best to keeping players here in the first place, Kennelly has called for some sort of remuneration to be made to GAA units here when they lose a player.

“The last thing I want is to see the GAA or the game itself suffer,” he said. “We’re taking the best players so it’s obviously going to affect the game. Being an amateur association and sport there is always the lure for players to go and play more professional sport. Some agreement or policy is going to have to come to terms with the GAA and AFL.”

Kennelly, who has spent the last six months recovering fitness after an injury-plagued 2007, is also hopeful that the Irish and Australians can put the rancour of previous years behind them and refloat the Rules series.

“There was a survey sent out to the 31 (Irish) players (who played in 2006) and it was 85% who would do it again,” said Kennelly. “What we need is to get a relationship back going between the GAA and the AFL. The relationship is sour at the moment because of International Rules.

“At home a lot of it was the media went berserk, absolutely crazy and there was a lot of heated reaction. I think the players have always wanted it in Ireland. It’s a great opportunity, but if anything it’s all been taken too serious. At the end of the day it’s just two exhibition games.”