National Forum

Should not 23 Irish-based players be flying to Oz?

(Oldest Posts First) - Go To The Latest Post


Replying To SaffronDon:  "their dream might be to make it as a professional athlete. Most GAA players I know certainly didnt limit themselves to the one game growing up. Some people just thrive of competition and if they are offered the opportunity to get paid for it then it surely falls into that category."
their dream is money then in that case not aussie rules as is being employed
if aussie rules was amature would they be treking around the world to start a new life in a sport they never played before is the point.
its a hardly a dream if you never played the sport until offered money to do it.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 30/09/2017 15:57:54    2051946

Link

Replying To alano12:  "fair point..suppose its up to us if want to give ourselves best possible chance of winning"
i dont know if the three guys named are good footballers or not to be honest, hard to compare it what we see in ireland.
like kennelly made it over there but i wouldnt have had him in the kerry team when he came back here as thaught he wasnt good enough as the players kerry had in 09.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 30/09/2017 15:59:42    2051947

Link

Replying To hill16no1man:  "their dream is money then in that case not aussie rules as is being employed
if aussie rules was amature would they be treking around the world to start a new life in a sport they never played before is the point.
its a hardly a dream if you never played the sport until offered money to do it."
if their dream is money then why would they sacrifice so many precious money making hours every week to the GAA (and other sports) as they developed into good enough players to be scouted by the afl?

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2385 - 30/09/2017 16:23:51    2051951

Link

Replying To hill16no1man:  "their dream is money then in that case not aussie rules as is being employed
if aussie rules was amature would they be treking around the world to start a new life in a sport they never played before is the point.
its a hardly a dream if you never played the sport until offered money to do it."
I've already explained that the dream remark related to being able to earn a living through playing as a professional sportsperson.
Working in a professional environment and getting the opportunity to eat sleep and drink as a professional athlete would.
You are the one who is suggesting it was a dream about money.
Of course you get paid to do so and that's part of what makes it appealing.

Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2312 - 30/09/2017 19:31:50    2051984

Link

Replying To SaffronDon:  "if their dream is money then why would they sacrifice so many precious money making hours every week to the GAA (and other sports) as they developed into good enough players to be scouted by the afl?"
The were younger then 20 when the went. How many money making opportunities did the miss out on?

ros1 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1211 - 30/09/2017 20:47:54    2052011

Link

Replying To ROS1:  "The were younger then 20 when the went. How many money making opportunities did the miss out on?"
if your dream is money do you have to postpone that dream until a certain age?

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2385 - 30/09/2017 21:15:31    2052022

Link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=autnU5cxJrs

Off topic but the above first test Ire v Australia in 1999 was a good game. Watched it recently.

Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 30/09/2017 21:27:05    2052027

Link

Replying To hill16no1man:  "i dont know if the three guys named are good footballers or not to be honest, hard to compare it what we see in ireland.
like kennelly made it over there but i wouldnt have had him in the kerry team when he came back here as thaught he wasnt good enough as the players kerry had in 09."
majority of them are very good just they leave so young and their style of kicking is often changed so some dont come back the same type of footballer..felt kennelly was fairly good now in 09...wasnt as good as the other lads in that forward line but still pretty good in what was an incredible forward line in fairness

alano12 (Dublin) - Posts: 2208 - 30/09/2017 22:02:34    2052032

Link

Replying To hill16no1man:  "their dream is money then in that case not aussie rules as is being employed
if aussie rules was amature would they be treking around the world to start a new life in a sport they never played before is the point.
its a hardly a dream if you never played the sport until offered money to do it."
No. That is you failing to understand a simple point. Yet again. He simply stated they wanted to live the life of a professional athlete and the lifestyle that this brings with it. You, being petty, ignorant, bitter and resentful have just taken that point and said they are doing it for money.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 01/10/2017 08:27:15    2052065

Link

Surely you would want your best players out representing the country if you want to win.
It's not as if they are not Irish because they took up the offer to play with a team in Australia.
Would any of the professional soccer lads be considered less Irish because they went to play for a club in England or should they be excluded when picking a national side ? Of course not, they are as Irish as any of the LoI players but are fortunate enough and talented enough to be able to have a chance of playing on a bigger stage and possibly earn good money doing it.

catch22 (USA) - Posts: 2148 - 01/10/2017 09:25:52    2052073

Link

Replying To ROS1:  "The have left the gaa. That is a bit like saying why don't we pick Tommy bowe or Simon zebo."
No, Its not at all like that

Tarismelting22 (Roscommon) - Posts: 760 - 02/10/2017 14:30:10    2052414

Link

if your dream is money do you have to postpone that dream until a certain age?

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts:1551 - 30/09/2017

Similarly at what point should you stop having new dreams?

Not everybody ends up doing what they thought they wanted to do when growing up, and not everybody plays the same sport their entire life.

if_in_doubt (Kildare) - Posts: 3685 - 02/10/2017 16:16:58    2052461

Link

I won't be sending anyone down there. The series has become a joke and the Aussies treat it as a joke.

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 02/10/2017 16:34:13    2052470

Link

Reading some comments here, few points I'd make.
1. People saying pick the best side available as it is all about winning to me are missing the point a bit, to me you are taking it a bit too seriously, remember it is more of an exhibition series where Gaelic footballers (well mostly) play Aussie rules players in a hybrid sport.
2. The GAA are defiantly promoting AFL to Gaelic footballers by competing in this series. More so by picking Irish AFL players.
3. Maybe the GAA could use their contacts made with the AFL due to this series to try to get regulations in place limiting AFL recruitment of GAA players.
4. I remember seeing a documentary about the O hAilpin brothers (about 10 years ago or more) and being amazed how little Setanta was getting paid on a rookie contract. It seemed to me had he stayed at home he would probably have made more money in a regular job. He clearly was not at the time doing it for the money more he wanted to concentrate full time playing a sport. If the contracts are still similar I don't think these GAA lads are going over to the AFL for the money.

bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1347 - 03/10/2017 13:11:32    2052692

Link

Replying To bdbuddah:  "Reading some comments here, few points I'd make.
1. People saying pick the best side available as it is all about winning to me are missing the point a bit, to me you are taking it a bit too seriously, remember it is more of an exhibition series where Gaelic footballers (well mostly) play Aussie rules players in a hybrid sport.
2. The GAA are defiantly promoting AFL to Gaelic footballers by competing in this series. More so by picking Irish AFL players.
3. Maybe the GAA could use their contacts made with the AFL due to this series to try to get regulations in place limiting AFL recruitment of GAA players.
4. I remember seeing a documentary about the O hAilpin brothers (about 10 years ago or more) and being amazed how little Setanta was getting paid on a rookie contract. It seemed to me had he stayed at home he would probably have made more money in a regular job. He clearly was not at the time doing it for the money more he wanted to concentrate full time playing a sport. If the contracts are still similar I don't think these GAA lads are going over to the AFL for the money."
An Irish player going out there reportedly will get €80,000 as a salary, plus three return flights back to Ireland (I think that mayb be divided up as one for the player, and one for each parent), as well as free rent and free car for the first two years. If they establish themselves, like Conor McKenna and Conor Glass are doing, they will get a salary increase. The average salary is €204,000, which Glass and McKenna are well on their way to achieving, going by how they've started out.

Texas (Donegal) - Posts: 163 - 27/10/2017 21:31:49    2058712

Link

Replying To witnof:  "I won't be sending anyone down there. The series has become a joke and the Aussies treat it as a joke."
Just off the top but wouldn't it be better to play the Railway Cup Final in Oz or the USA . Great reward for the players especially players from weaker counties

crikey (Australia) - Posts: 355 - 28/10/2017 00:23:02    2058733

Link

Replying To hill16no1man:  "i dont know if the three guys named are good footballers or not to be honest, hard to compare it what we see in ireland.
like kennelly made it over there but i wouldnt have had him in the kerry team when he came back here as thaught he wasnt good enough as the players kerry had in 09."
I thought Kennelly had a terrific game in All Ireland final against Cork in 2009.
After Cork had a great start with a goal in early stages...Kennelly proceeded to run Graham Canty ragged and used his strength and fitness to good effect. Kerry wore Cork down and won the game easily enough.
Thought he was Kerry's best player in that final..even though he should have been sent off for early hit on Nicholas Murphy.

Rockies (Cork) - Posts: 947 - 05/11/2017 00:46:31    2060520

Link