Replying To Seniorleague:  "There seems to be totally contradictory points being made here.

Many of the people who are totally in favour of players joining the afl to make money ,seem totally aghast at the idea of a player making money playing for his county.

Surely if anything the latter option is preferable."

Replying To WanPintWin:  "They're not contradictory at all. One is a professional sport, the other is a community based organisation and the greatest amateur sport in the world. One in which players by and large play only for where they're from and one which is embedded into villages and towns all over the island. The GAA is far more than just sport.
The other part is that making GAA players professional just wouldn't be sustainable. It would require a massive reduction of intercounty teams, and change it from what makes it so popular in the first place.
I'm not totally in favour if players joining the AFL and I do think it impacts the GAA. I'd much prefer of they stayed here, from a GAA quality point of view. At the same time I don't begrudge the players themselves taking the opportunity."

Replying To Seniorleague:  "Theres a difference between not begrudging a player leavng the GAA to join the AFL and out and out glorifying it (i think one fella said earlier hes "delighted" to see them leave),,i dont begrudge them either but I hate whats happening,and would way rather they stayed,yet some on here, probably in an effort to appear open minded, cant comment on the issue without talking about how great it is that they're leaving .

The same people become a hell of a lot less open minded when a player dares to transfer club,however,while at the same time being totally in favour of managers changing clubs,if you can square that one.

Yes pay for play is not sustainable, and no ,i dont want it even if it was,but to applaud AFL bound GAA players for pursuing a professional sporting career while harshly criticising GAA players who might want the literal exact same thing makes no sense."

Replying To WanPintWin:  "Moving to Australia to play a professional sport is not the exact same thing as someone switching GAA clubs in the same sport and same county/country. It's quite a bit different.
One is taking up an opportunity to play as a professional in a completely different sport and organisation. The other is doing something which isn't generally in line with the ethos of the GAA. One which is a big part of what makes the GAA what it is."

Replying To Seniorleague:  "Theres a difference between not begrudging a player leavng the GAA to join the AFL and out and out glorifying it (i think one fella said earlier hes "delighted" to see them leave),,i dont begrudge them either but I hate whats happening,and would way rather they stayed,yet some on here, probably in an effort to appear open minded, cant comment on the issue without talking about how great it is that they're leaving .

The same people become a hell of a lot less open minded when a player dares to transfer club,however,while at the same time being totally in favour of managers changing clubs,if you can square that one.

Yes pay for play is not sustainable, and no ,i dont want it even if it was,but to applaud AFL bound GAA players for pursuing a professional sporting career while harshly criticising GAA players who might want the literal exact same thing makes no sense."