Rossies motion wants Aussies to pay GAA clubs

AUSSIE RULES teams who recruit Gaelic footballers may soon be forced to pay thousands of euro in compensation to GAA clubs, with a motion from Roscommon now due to come before Congress in April.

A motion by Kilglass Gaels club who want a rule introduced that will force Australian clubs to pay up to €20,000 to the GAA club which developed a player who heads Down Under, was overwhelmingly carried at the Roscommon convention at the weekend and will now go before Congress in Mullingar in April.

The motion proposes that if an AFL club signs an Irish footballer, a compensation package be paid to the player’s former club for the training received.

“Players do not become stars overnight. It is a process that begins at seven or eight years of age and is developed through a combination of natural ability, hard work and commitment to ones sport,” said Kilglass delegate Charlie Reynolds.

“The purpose of this motion is to ensure another organisation which seeks to utilise our resources for profit would have to compensate the GAA. It means that funds would go back to where the loss is most acute,” said Reynolds.