Walsh and Young in Rules dilemma

THE availability of Kerry stars Tommy Walsh and Killian Young to travel to Australia next weekend with the Irish squad for the International Rules Series remains in doubt.

With Kerins O’Rahilly’s and South Kerry both winning their games yesterday in the county SFC — and being paired with each other in the semi-final — it would appear that the best chance one of them has is if the County Board agrees to bring forward their game to next weekend.

That way, barring a draw, a result would free up one of the them to travel out a day or two later and join the squad in Perth for the first Test, on Friday, October 31.

In the meantime, Walsh is recovering from a calf muscle strain which, according to his father Sean (a selector with O’Rahilly’s) occurred after 15 minutes of the game against Rathmore the previous week. “Hopefully it will clear up in a week,’’ he commented.

Interestingly, Walsh said that in the event of a clash that ‘the club would come first.’ South Kerry manager James O’Sullivan said he would not stand in the way of any decision which Young might make, saying that if he would to decide to travel to Australia he would do so ‘with his blessing.’

Young, meanwhile, admitted to being in a quandary. “It will be a tough decision. I will take time over it and talk to Tommy,’’ he said. “It’s hard to say what I will do. It’s a great opportunity to represent your country.”

A meeting of the Kerry County Board’s Competitions Control Committee tonight will decide on the dates for the semi-finals.

*The semi-final draw: Kerins O’Rahilly’s v South Kerry; Laune Rangers v Mid Kerry.