Kerry GAA chief on AFL recruiters: 'If a young lad is doing his Leaving Cert, nobody should be ringing him'

Ben Murphy of Austin Stacks in action against Conor Flannery of Dingle. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Kerry GAA CEO Peter Twiss insists the county will not take the AFL’s heavy recruitment of footballers in the county “lying down”.

After Austin Stacks starlet Ben Murphy’s deal with the Brisbane Lions was confirmed earlier this week, Twiss has spoken of matching “fire with fire up to a point” and making it as attractive as possible for players to remain here.

“In terms of Kerry, we don’t take it lying down,” says Twiss. “And we’d be aware of young lads who are being employed, and we’d always maybe try and give them another option, with schools, or college, or whatever. You have to be kind of careful doing that because you have to appreciate him and his family and but you should certainly try to be seen to do something.

“You can be just complaining, and you’ve got to fight fire with fire up to a point. Now, there’s a limit, obviously. But I think you should never give up the battle. I think it would be important that any player thinking about leaving Kerry should feel that he can come to talk to the chairman, or secretary, and we can maybe look at other options, within reason.

“I think that’s the message that should go out as well. This idea of doing nothing wouldn’t be Kerry’s way at all. I don’t think it really would have any meaning in the sense of purely financial but of support for education, or something like that.”

Twiss would like to see the recruitment process regulated so that teenagers aren’t approached directly especially at a time when they are facing exams. “It’s an amateur sport, and he’s an amateur player, and his family’s entitled to their privacy. So, we appreciate that. It would be ideal if there was some more of a structured thing because at least then everybody might be aware of what’s going on.

“If a young lad is doing his Leaving Cert, nobody should be ringing him. I’m not saying that’s the case, but from what I hear, some people were saying there were phone-calls made while he [Murphy] was doing his exams. Now, that to me would be wrong. I’d call it out. At the same time, a young lad and his family are entitled to make whatever decision they make.”

After Mark O’Connor, Rob Monahan and Cillian Burke, Murphy is the fourth Kerryman to be signed to an AFL club in 2026. Twiss considers the investment of time and expertise put into Murphy at Stacks and believes the AFL outfits would be agreeable to contributing something to the original clubs of recruited Gaelic footballers.

“If we look at the Austin Stacks Club, and all the work that’s put in now to developing Ben, you would feel that some sense of fair play would say that the club should get something, even if it was a contribution towards their training, or their under-age, Bord na nÓg or Coiste na nÓg. And I’m sure the people over in Australia in the clubs would be more than happy (to do so) if it was put to them in that context.”

Twiss wishes only the best for Murphy as he attempts to make a career in the AFL. “It’s disappointing but, first and foremost, we wish him the best, and that’s the important thing. He’s a young lad, and the best of luck to him and his family. And I’m sure they’ll miss him as well over in Australia. So that’s our first priority, that he enjoys and has a good time there.

“He’s a young lad. In a way, if he wants to go, he should go because you need to maybe experience it and see where you are. Who knows down the line, he may come back even a better player. But the main thing is that he enjoys himself, he’s safe and he prospers. And we will always welcome him back, if he comes back, yes.”

Twiss continues: “Young lads have to live their lives. They’re top-class sports people. I’m sure if I was a sports person, I’d want to go to Australia as well, so you have to appreciate that. And I always believe that somewhere along the line, they will come back whether it’s Ben, whether it’s Cillian Burke, or whoever, and we’ll be all the better for it then.”

• Peter Twiss was speaking at the launch of “Champions Under Lights” Kerry v Tipperary game in Fethard Town Park on December 13. In aid of the Dillon Quirke Foundation, tickets are available at eventbrite.ie/