AFL dropouts face tough return

GPA national executive member Ronan Sweeney accepts players who come home from unsuccessful AFL stints face a challenging return.

AFL dropouts face tough return

The newly-appointed Kildare selector has seen how Seán Hurley has attempted to fit back into life having been de-listed by Fremantle Dockers in August. Currently injured, Hurley is in Cian O’Neill’s plans for the new season but Sweeney knows how burdensome it can be for players to reacquaint themselves with Gaelic football and life back home after embarking on professional careers.

“From the human side of it, we are doing everything we can and he has really engaged with the GPA, in terms of practical things like preparing for job interviews and things like that. It is difficult because he (Hurley) is coming back and doing nothing while coming out of a professional lifestyle. I can’t imagine how difficult that is. He is in a high percentage group who it does not work out for. It is such a different game and there is no shame in that. He tried. It is like the good club player over the years who never made the step-up but who made the effort.”

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