Harte fury at GAA’s ongoing AFL links

MICKEY HARTE says it will be the GAA’s fault for making Gaelic games “a warm market for the AFL” if Down star Martin Clarke resumes his Aussie Rules career.

Clarke has gone to Australia this week to meet up with some of his former Collingwood team-mates. While there has been no confirmation about the An Ríocht’s man’s intentions, even Down manager James McCartan seemed resigned to losing his playmaker.

According to Harte, the relationship between the GAA and the AFL facilitates player traffic from Ireland to the professional code.

“If Marty Clarke returns to Australia to resume his Australian Rules career, he will be a serious loss to Down football, but that is the possibility we facilitate when the GAA engages with the AFL in the official capacity that currently prevails,” said the Tyrone manager in the Irish News yesterday.

“People will argue that it might happen anyway, and there may be an element of truth to that, but we as an Association should not be making our games a warm market for the AFL.

“As James McCartan said, it is up to every individual to do what they will and I have no difficulty with that either; if people want to go and play in the AFL of their own volition, then good luck to them. I am glad none of the current Tyrone squad are so inclined but I do continue to wonder why we engage with (the AFL) when there is absolutely no return traffic.