'It is back on board now' – Irish AFL sessions resume in Dublin

The GAA confirmed they have no involvement in the AFL combines.

IRISH INFLUENCE: Mark O'Connor, Oisin Mullin and Zach Tuohy of the Cats pose ahead of Mullin's debut game during the round 11 AFL match between Geelong Cats and Greater Western Sydney Giants. Pic: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

An AFL recruiter has spent the last few weeks running sessions in Dublin for men and women who could make the move Down Under in the future.

Gerard Sholly is the head of cricket at TLA Woldwide, a sports talent and marketing agency. He previously worked as a recruitment officer for Australian Rules outfit Carlton and drafted in Premiership champion Zach Tuohy. Tuohy later moved to Geelong where he currently plays.

For several years Sholly has independently partnered with the AFL to help identify Irish talent. The programme was interrupted by Covid. Combines in Dublin were suspended and a planned trip for four prospects was cancelled. It is gradually returning with a series of training sessions at Trinity College’s grounds the latest step in that direction. 

The GAA confirmed they have no involvement in this.

As well as Sholly, former Collingwood player and current Down coach Marty Clarke ran the sessions while Talent ID and skills coach Mike Currane of the AFLW Ireland social media page was also involved. 

Currane has worked with numerous recent recruits to the women’s league including Donegal’s Niamh McLaughlin and Meath’s Vikki Wall.

Current U20 stars from various counties including Kerry, Galway and Offaly attended the men’s sessions.

On the Australian radio programme SEN Breakfast this week, Sholly said he was speaking from Ireland and that Oisin Mullin, who debuted for Geelong last week, may change their process.

“It is on behalf of the AFL. We were working with Talent ID in Ireland prior to Covid. When Covid hit it had a few years hiatus, but it is back on board now.

“We use the grounds of Trinity College. Not in Dublin itself, it is about half an hour out of Dublin near the airport. It is not at Trinity in the heart of Dublin. 

"They have training facilities and we use them for sessions. We’ve invited in men and had a couple of sessions with the girls on behalf of AFLW as well. Talent ID make contact with those players as we did with Oisin. They come in and we see if there is any interest in them.

NEWEST RECRUIT: Oisin Mullin of the Cats takes possession of the ball. Pic: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

“Oisin might have changed the landscape a little bit given that he gone through a senior intercounty programme. He is 22, 23 already. 

"Previously clubs have targeted more the guys coming out of U18 football, here it is U17 now. Zach Tuohy, Conor McKenna, Marty Clarke guys were all teenagers. Whereas Oisin is 23. What we are looking for is primarily that type, if there is a prototype, 6’1”. I know Jim (Stynes) was 6’6” I suppose. But he was an exception. 

"The bulk, Tadhg Kennelly, Zach Tuohy, are around 6’1”. Quick, good agility. That is the type we are looking for predominately.” 

Mullin was due to travel to Melbourne in 2020 along with Frank Irwin, Ultan Kelm and Cillian Rouine. The pandemic saw it abandoned. Sholly said they have been in contact with approximately 60 prospects. That list will be cut down to 25 and “hopefully three or four” will visit Australia later this year.

Mullin made his AFL debut last weekend and head coach Chris Scott lauded the rookie’s performance post-game.

“He wasn’t overawed by the situation at all. He looked like he relished the contact and the intensity of the game. He was really solid with the ball. He has got great speed and power. It is nice when you bring young players in and they look at home at the level. It is even better when you bring in a guy who probably hadn’t seen a Sherrin until he was sixteen. It is a really good sign for us.” 

Certain clubs, like Geelong and Hawthorn, do not rely on the AFL’s system and have their own network in Ireland. Geelong currently have three Irish players on their AFL list (Zach Tuohy, Mark O’Connor, Oisin Mullin) and three on their AFLW list (Rachel Kearns, Aishling Moloney and Anna Rose Kennedy). 

Hawthorn have two Irish on their AFL list (Conor Nash, Fionn O’Hara) and two on their AFLW list (Áine McDonagh, Aileen Gilroy).

“It is a free hit,” said Sholly. “Clubs have always had a bit of interest but with Covid it stopped to a level. Hawthorn have had interest; Conor (Nash) has done really well. Conor Glass was there and played 20-odd games. Brisbane have been interested. They have a player there James Madden who played last year.

“Geelong have three players in their senior team, two in the Premiership. They have been really proactive. The guy who works for them in Ireland I know really well. He does a great job, attends all the sessions and is obsessed with Gaelic footy and gives really good information back to Geelong.

“Sydney I think have had interest. Tadhg has been involved in their talent ID and his brother did some work with us as well. They are the major clubs, but a lot of clubs still have links from players they had who went back to Ireland.”