President in dark over Kennelly’s AFL trial but does not fear exodus

Tadhg Kennelly’s claim that the GAA had been aware of yesterday’s AFL scouting camp in Tallaght came as news to Christy Cooney yesterday.

The association’s president claimed to have no knowledge of a day-long series of tests which the former Kerry player and current AFL international ambassador was running on some of the country’s top young footballers.

“I am not aware that we have any official sanction with regards to any event like that,” said Cooney. “Genuinely I am not. I did not even know it was on today.”

Similar trials have been run here in the past, by former agent Ricky Nixon in particular, but the feared player drain to Australia has never materialised, although there has been a regular drip of youngsters signing professional contracts.

“I have gone through this whole rigmarole before but we have only a handful of players playing in Australia and if people want to play Australian Rules or play professionally, they have that right and we would never stand in their way,” said Cooney.