Conor Glass on AFL life: 'We got more abuse because we’re Irish'

Watty Graham’s Glen and Derry footballer Conor Glass in attendance at the launch of this year’s AIB GAA Club Championships and AIB Camogie Club Championships. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Former Australian Rules player Conor Glass has suggested jealousy could be at the root of some of the online abuse dished out to Irishmen in the AFL.

The Derry star made 21 appearances during four and a half years with Hawthorn and said that while he’s “better for the experience”, it was tough at times when social media users turned against him.

Speaking at the launch of the AIB club championships, Glass claimed that “we got more abuse because we’re Irish” and suggested that those dishing out the insults may have been jealous of GAA players coming from a different game and operating at that high level.

His comments chime with the experiences of All-Ireland winning Tyrone forward Conor McKenna who was heavily criticised initially on social media following a false positive Covid-19 test early on in the pandemic while on the books of Essendon.

Online abuse of sports people and athletes is a problem in Ireland too, though Glass feels it’s worse in Australia.

“It would be worse in Australia because it’s a professional sport and they literally live and breathe the professional environment,” he said.

“Because it’s your full-time job that’s when they’ll scrutinise you about...like, we got more abuse because we’re Irish and they’re probably a bit jealous they didn’t make it to that level, whereas we’re coming from a completely different sport and they didn’t play there, where we are. Yeah, you get the trolls.”

Glass said he doesn’t regret his time in Australia and has chalked any of the negatives down to life experience.

“I’m absolutely better for the experience, going through hard times has made me who I am today,” said the midfielder. “I’m obviously not engrossed in social media, and don’t take other people’s opinions to heart, especially boys that don’t really understand much about football.

“It’s normally just trolls and stuff on social media. I’m in a better place for it and any education I can pass on to any Gaelic players, or anyone really, about that sort of stuff, I’ll do so.”

Glass has enjoyed a thrilling return to Gaelic football, helping Derry to secure promotion to Division 2 in the National League this year and then powering his club Glen to a maiden county senior title. They will play St Eunan’s of Donegal in the AIB Ulster club championship on Sunday.

As part of his transition back into the GAA, he revealed that he studied hours of footage of Dublin games and watched Brian Fenton in particular. “Rory Gallagher actually told me to watch out for him and watch his vision and watch his game,” said Glass. “That’s literally what I done. I modelled my game on him and whatever he does well, I try to implement some of the stuff he does well into my game.

“He’s the type of player that he gets a lot of turnovers but he hits the scoreboard a lot as well. And he has that fitness base of being able to get up and down the pitch”.

The successful 2021 season came as a big relief to Glass after leaving a professional career in Australia. “What I have in my first year, even getting promotion with Derry, it just makes the transition a bit easier, and keeps my mind a bit happier as well,” he said.