Buckley impressed by honest young punter

NATHAN BUCKLEY, the former great AFL player who is now assistant coach to the Australian team, tells a lovely story about his first visit to Ireland.

On the week of the opening test, he met what he described as “a young cocky Irish upstart called Seamus” who was carrying a hurley and sliotar. The youngster told Nathan that the Irish were going to “flog” the Australians and offered to wager a tenner on the result. Nathan jokingly asked would he wager the hurley and sliotar instead.

Australia won the first test and the Wednesday after the game the hotel porter brought a parcel to his room in the Berkeley Court.

The cocky Dublin lad had been true to his word and Buckley became the owner of a new hurley and sliotar. Just shows the little friendships and impressions that can be made in interactions like this. Honesty always impresses and even the Aussies love hurling.