Nixon defends recruiting plans

AUSSIE RULES player agent Ricky Nixon has claimed his proposed recruiting camp in Ireland could lead to less — not more — Gaelic footballers making the switch to the AFL.

Nixon met with GAA president Nickey Brennan and Director General Pauric Duffy in Croke Park yesterday to brief them on his intentions to bring approximately 20 young footballers together for a trial in the coming months.

Players will undergo physical and psychological testing at the week-long camp where Nixon is to assemble a small team of experts in various areas. Presentations will also be made by the AFL clubs who have each paid AUS$30,000 (e18,000) to be involved.

Nixon has told Australian media sources that the GAA are “more than happy to set up an academy” but Brennan himself has insisted that no official response will be made until the parties meet again in October during the International Rules series.

“What you have at the moment is guys coming over here hiding behind trees and signing guys up,” Nixon told RTÉ. “We are coming over here to formalise a system, do it properly and that could actually see less, not more players, going over.”

Nixon arrived in Ireland last Thursday and is believed to have contacted 25 players already. One Australian newspaper has reported that the trial camp has been fixed for somewhere in the Dublin region some time next month.

“Clearly, they have some concerns, they voiced them and I accept them but they were, I think, pleased I was upfront about what I’m doing and an ongoing process will put in place for everyone involved,” Nixon said.

“They don’t want to see a massive drain out of Ireland and I accept that, but at the same time, there certainly can’t be zero movement of young men wanting to play AFL. The players we’ve identified have talent and, we think, have a better than 50% chance of making it to the AFL.”