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Lads Off To The AFL

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See another few including young Oisin Mullen from Mayo are off to Oz. Can't blame them for taking the opportunity but it weakens the game here. Best of luck to them but sad to see them go!

moylagh (Meath) - Posts: 484 - 05/11/2021 11:15:40    2388453

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Replying To moylagh:  "See another few including young Oisin Mullen from Mayo are off to Oz. Can't blame them for taking the opportunity but it weakens the game here. Best of luck to them but sad to see them go!"
what do you mean by weakens the game , what will these young lads get from the gaa NOTHING . more luck to them

mickcunningham (Westmeath) - Posts: 1804 - 05/11/2021 11:45:33    2388457

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Replying To moylagh:  "See another few including young Oisin Mullen from Mayo are off to Oz. Can't blame them for taking the opportunity but it weakens the game here. Best of luck to them but sad to see them go!"
If 500-600 a year were going, then it might weaken the game! Mullen's move might weaken Mayo, but not the overall game. He gave his all to get Mayo to two successive AIFs; to no avail. Now, his focus is on something different; a life choice. Best of luck to the man!

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 1918 - 05/11/2021 13:05:19    2388468

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Good weather, good lifestyle, getting paid to play sport, more luck to them. The GAA looks after everyone except those who provide the entertainment, the players. All Ireland final day ref, umpires, bar staff, security staff, food staff all get paid. Those playing on the pitch get a mileage allowance.

The_Fonz (Westmeath) - Posts: 213 - 05/11/2021 14:33:06    2388480

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Replying To The_Fonz:  "Good weather, good lifestyle, getting paid to play sport, more luck to them. The GAA looks after everyone except those who provide the entertainment, the players. All Ireland final day ref, umpires, bar staff, security staff, food staff all get paid. Those playing on the pitch get a mileage allowance."
The GAA didn't listen to the players regarding the new proposals, it's the players who should have been voting not delegates from around the world, more power to Oisin mullah and ulten kelm and the other players who are going to oz, I hope they make a great career out of it and enjoy themselves.

blueman1903 (Cavan) - Posts: 883 - 05/11/2021 16:07:59    2388492

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Replying To The_Fonz:  "Good weather, good lifestyle, getting paid to play sport, more luck to them. The GAA looks after everyone except those who provide the entertainment, the players. All Ireland final day ref, umpires, bar staff, security staff, food staff all get paid. Those playing on the pitch get a mileage allowance."
You think they are getting well paid, well lister to the Conor Mc Kenna podcast and you'll find out that's far from the truth. Don't want to see any lads going but if they do, they should go early and after a couple of years come home and bring all the experience to help out your county. Mc Kenna and the lad from Tipp are perfect examples, use AFL and take as much off them as possible. They don't give a fiddlers F... about the GAA. Westmeath could learn a lot from them instead of slagging GAA.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2014 - 05/11/2021 16:56:00    2388494

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Huge loss to Mayo and his club. That said nobody can deny him or any young lad the opportunity to go play professional sport. I suppose we aren't short on producing attacking half backs in this county but his loss will be felt. All the best to Oisín and hopefully he pulls in the green and red jersey sometime in the future again.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11232 - 05/11/2021 17:53:57    2388498

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Utter nonsense. Umpires have never received payment. Referees get a paltry mileage allowance. Players not out of pocket for their efforts. No one forcing them to play, it's a choice.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1501 - 05/11/2021 20:17:27    2388504

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The scare stories of thousands of young Gaelic footballers leaving the GAA to pursue the professionalism of Aussie Rules have been around for decades, but in the final analysis very, very, VERY few footballers make even a halfway successful career in the AFL. Jim Stynes and Sean Wight in the 80s. Tadhg Kennelly and Pearse Hanley this century. Martin Clarke for a few seasons. Zach Touhy more recently.

Most come home after a few seasons, hopefully the better for the experience of playing professional football in a different country.

ballydalane (Kilkenny) - Posts: 1246 - 06/11/2021 10:36:31    2388522

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It's definitely worth a go. He might make it and he might not. But better to head down and see. No point in dying wondering.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9141 - 06/11/2021 11:11:52    2388528

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The ultimate goal it seems is no longer to represent your county or win an all Ireland , but to play well enough to hopefully impress an AFL scout so you can leave the GAA altogether. If that doesn't weaken the game I don't know what does.
Like, for sure best of luck to the lad, his decision is understandable, but the enthusiasm ye have for losing our games best talents has me at a loss. It'd be like soccer fans celebrating Messi giving up his sport to go play golf.

Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1711 - 06/11/2021 11:30:30    2388531

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Best of luck to them, the lure of the Aussie sunshine versus a muddy field in rural Ireland in the middle of winter is a no brainer. Plus get paid todo something you enjoy , you only live once.

Buzzcagney62 (Leitrim) - Posts: 217 - 06/11/2021 12:28:44    2388538

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More luck to any player that makes the decision to go to the AFL, its a great opportunity. The begrudgery that inevitably follows their decision from certain quarters is pathetic.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1911 - 06/11/2021 12:41:58    2388539

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Replying To Galway9801:  "The ultimate goal it seems is no longer to represent your county or win an all Ireland , but to play well enough to hopefully impress an AFL scout so you can leave the GAA altogether. If that doesn't weaken the game I don't know what does.
Like, for sure best of luck to the lad, his decision is understandable, but the enthusiasm ye have for losing our games best talents has me at a loss. It'd be like soccer fans celebrating Messi giving up his sport to go play golf."
100%

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 06/11/2021 13:26:06    2388543

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Replying To Galway9801:  "The ultimate goal it seems is no longer to represent your county or win an all Ireland , but to play well enough to hopefully impress an AFL scout so you can leave the GAA altogether. If that doesn't weaken the game I don't know what does.
Like, for sure best of luck to the lad, his decision is understandable, but the enthusiasm ye have for losing our games best talents has me at a loss. It'd be like soccer fans celebrating Messi giving up his sport to go play golf."
The two lads mentioned this week were part of an AFL Combine in 2019, well before they were household names, so were thinking of going then, nobody was too concerned back then.
The GAA world gets their knickers in a twist over a few guys going to AFL every year, as another poster pointed out, it's only a handful.
Of more concern for the GAA should be the thousands of club players from 16 to 25 who quit the GAA every year & never return, nobody worried about that as they are not high profile. The number of teams that failed to field at club level this year, particularly at Junior level should be a red flag, but everyone is more worried about 2 lads out of a membership of half a million heading to Australia.

moc.dna (Galway) - Posts: 1212 - 06/11/2021 14:01:50    2388549

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Replying To Galway9801:  "The ultimate goal it seems is no longer to represent your county or win an all Ireland , but to play well enough to hopefully impress an AFL scout so you can leave the GAA altogether. If that doesn't weaken the game I don't know what does.
Like, for sure best of luck to the lad, his decision is understandable, but the enthusiasm ye have for losing our games best talents has me at a loss. It'd be like soccer fans celebrating Messi giving up his sport to go play golf."
That's just silly stuff now.

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1911 - 06/11/2021 15:39:09    2388554

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Replying To moc.dna:  "The two lads mentioned this week were part of an AFL Combine in 2019, well before they were household names, so were thinking of going then, nobody was too concerned back then.
The GAA world gets their knickers in a twist over a few guys going to AFL every year, as another poster pointed out, it's only a handful.
Of more concern for the GAA should be the thousands of club players from 16 to 25 who quit the GAA every year & never return, nobody worried about that as they are not high profile. The number of teams that failed to field at club level this year, particularly at Junior level should be a red flag, but everyone is more worried about 2 lads out of a membership of half a million heading to Australia."
Good point re the club players, and I completely agree, but regarding players leaving for the AFL, when a player decides to give up the very real possibility of winning an all Ireland medal in order to play for an AFL team which he may not even end up playing for, or winning anything with it absolutely weakens the GAA imo.
Of course the decision is totally understandable, (money is involved after all) but the optics are atrocious.

Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1711 - 06/11/2021 15:59:48    2388556

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Replying To Claretandblue:  "Utter nonsense. Umpires have never received payment. Referees get a paltry mileage allowance. Players not out of pocket for their efforts. No one forcing them to play, it's a choice."
Well said, the consequences of paying anyone directly out of revenue is a massive step and the wrong one. Fair play to these lads but the reality is this is an amateur sport.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4897 - 06/11/2021 17:05:07    2388568

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GAA are playing into the hands of AFL with some of the rules they brought in. For one the advanced mark is totally what AFL are looking out for. Couple of years ago Mc Shane was playing it to perfection and what happens, AFL come calling.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2014 - 06/11/2021 18:11:10    2388573

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GAA are playing into the hands of AFL with some of the rules they brought in. For one the advanced mark is totally what AFL are looking out for. Couple of years ago Mc Shane was playing it to perfection and what happens, AFL come calling.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2014 - 06/11/2021 18:15:50    2388576

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