GAA reject AFL ‘transfer fee’ compensation proposal

THE GAA has rejected a proposal that would see Irish clubs compensated by ‘a transfer fee’ for players lost to the AFL.

The two codes have been in continuous discussions for some years on a wide range of issues, one of which is the numbers of Irish players signed by sides Down Under.

Anything up to 20 Irish players are expected to travel to Australia this year, whether for trials or to sign professional rookie contracts, and such figures are making many in the GAA uneasy.

AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson has told The Brisbane Courier-Mail that transfer fees similar to those which Australian clubs currently pay for players supplied through the draft system have been discussed.

“We had a good discussion with the GAA about the issue of transfer fees when they were out here in October and would be happy to look at any proposal they have on the matter,” Anderson said.

According to the Courier-Mail, the GAA are fearful that such an arrangement would encourage clubs to act as virtual feeder outfits for Aussie Rules clubs looking to farm available talent beyond their own shores.

“I can categorically say there will be no transfer system,” said the GAA’s own operations manager Feargal McGill.

“If the AFL has the money and wants to help we are interested in

discussing welfare programs for our players. We are very interested in

ensuring there is a pathway for them back into Gaelic games.

“We don’t want the ones who go out there and don’t make it arriving home broke with no skills sets and limited employment options and we lose them to the game.”

McGill also confirmed to the Irish Examiner that the GAA hope to have more formal structures regarding Irish players in Australia in place by the end of the year.

Further discussions will be held with the AFL chiefs duringwhen the International Rules series is played here in Ireland in October.

“The difficulty is getting to talk face to face,” said McGill. “Because of that it takes a bit more time in situations like these and we would be very anxious to get it right.”

The scramble for foreign talent is likely to intensify among AFL clubs in the near future with two expansion franchises set for the Gold Coast and Western Sydney.

With unemployment figures continuing to rise here, and some inter-county GAA squads reporting as many as one-third or more of their number out of work, the option of a professional contract in the AFL is an attractive one.

Already this year the Brisbane Lions have signed Antrim’s Niall McKeever, Sydney have offered a contract to Derry minor Christopher McKaigue and Laois’ Zach Tuohy has signed a deal with Carlton.