Earley: Nixon absence won’t stop interest from Australia

FORMER Roscommon footballer and Melbourne AFL player PaulEarley believes the decision to remove agent Ricky Nixon’s licence will have little or no impact on the Australian Rules recruitment drive in Ireland.

Nixon, who has been instrumental in several young Gaelic footballers heading to AFL clubs, had his licence revoked for two years by the AFL’s Players Association for an“inappropriate” relationship with a teenage girl.

However, Earley, who was involved in Tadhg Kennelly and Martin Clarke’s successful moves to the Sydney Swans and Collingwood,believes the baton will be taken on by either another individual or the clubs revamping their scouting structures here.

“Perhaps another agent might step in or clubs who are serious about finding talent in Ireland might try and develop their recruitment networks,” said Earley

“I have no doubt it will continue, though. The success of TadhgKennelly, Martin Clarke and the fact Tommy Walsh now seems to bemaking an impact in the game there will ensure AFL clubs will keep their eyes directed towards Ireland.

“It has been seen to be relatively successful. From what I have read, Nixon was targeting the younger groups by putting development plans in place for 14 to 16-year-olds.

“That was one of his strategies to ensure they were better prepared for when they went out to Australia rather than starting from scratch. Somebody else or the clubs might look at that.”

Earley, now an analyst with Setanta Sports and heavily involved withLeinster GAA’s coaching programme, hasn’t had any hand in an AFL switch since Clarke’s move to Collingwood in 2006. However, he thinks it’s more likely that clubs will step up their own recruitment networks in Ireland now Nixon is gone.

Furthermore, he slams the method used by Nixon of establishing trials and giving young players false hope of making it in the AFL.

“I’m not sure if anybody else will come in. It would appear more likely clubs will decide to paddle their own canoe. I was never a fan of the Nixon approach anyway because I always felt there were only going to be one or two at most who would make it out there. His scatter-gun approach,raising the hopes of 30 or 40 players, wasn’t the way to go about it, in my view. It was beneficial to the AFL clubs rather than them going on asolo run. They were able to do it through one person.

“But my understanding is some of the clubs didn’t sign up to the Nixon approach and still have activerecruitment networks here. Sydney and Collingwood, I believe, are two of them.”

Meanwhile, reports from Australia suggest Nixon is in talks with another agency about selling his Flying Start company. The Melbourne-basedSunday Herald Sun yesterday suggested Nixon is in negotiations with Sydney-based firm Titan Management.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has said he has no problem with Nixon joining a club now that his agent’s licence is suspended.

“If a club wanted to put him on, I don’t see how we could stop that. I would not discourage that,” he said. ‘He is out of his profession for two years. It will affect his livelihood and he will have to restart his life.’

Demetriou expressed his sympathy for Nixon in his current situation and claimed he had “made a considerable contribution’ to football and has ‘substantial ability’ which could be used at club level. He has fallen through the cracks and needs to get his health in order,” said Demetriou.

“I would be more than happy to sit down with him and if I could offer any advice I would do so.”