How many Gaelic footballers have made it good when they switched for Gaelic football to Australian rules football ?

These are the players that i can think of Jim Stynes , Tadgh Kennelly , Martin Clarke , Setanta O'Halpin

Anymore ?

Redhot (Cork) - Posts: 739 - 05/08/2010 10:58:55    736521

pearce hanley is a regular with brisbane @ the minute

winjustonce1 (Mayo) - Posts: 57 - 05/08/2010 11:12:44    736535

What county does Pearse Hanly come from ?

Redhot (Cork) - Posts: 739 - 05/08/2010 11:18:06    736541

Couple young lads out there at the minute trying there best to make it. Tommy Walsh will surely be another to add to that list shortly enough i presume.

Rattler2010 (Kildare) - Posts: 117 - 05/08/2010 11:18:38    736542

pearce hanley is fom county mayo. won the Ron Barassi medal for the best player of the international rules for the Irish U-17 International Rules team against Australia in 2005. Serious talent if stays injury free.

winjustonce1 (Mayo) - Posts: 57 - 05/08/2010 11:22:29    736546

It's a totally different game anyway, tackles, oval ball etc.
The hybrid game is good but will ill tempter likely to flame in the second games, maybe they should just play the one game and leave it at that.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8826 - 05/08/2010 11:30:08    736559

Colm Begley was playign regularly enough for Brisbane at one point also.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 05/08/2010 11:31:32    736561

i heard walsh is useless over there

madden (Kildare) - Posts: 293 - 05/08/2010 11:37:50    736570

Hanly is the biggest loss to Mayo football in a long long time!!! Australian poachers to blame

Ros2013 (Roscommon) - Posts: 532 - 05/08/2010 11:39:25    736573

From world footy news June this year:

The Irish players in the AFL have been undergoing a tough time of late, with Tadhg Kennelly out injured, Setanta O'hAlpin experiencing a dip in form and Pearce Hanley playing his first senior game of the season before being dropped. There has however been some promising performances in the VFL with Tommy Walsh kicking his first goals in the sport for Sandringham and Michael Quinn impressing for the Bendigo Bombers, kicking 3 goals last week.

Kennelly's superb start to the season was interrupted in the first 90 seconds of his sides defeat at home to Fremantle. A seemingly innocuous challenge saw Kennelly go down injured and despite frantic work from the trainers he was unable to return. He was diagnosed with a medial ligament strain and after 2 weeks he returned ahead of schedule in the win over Port Adelaide. Although he lacked sharpness he should soon be back to his best as the Swans push to consolidate a finals berth.

Having been named as an emergency previously, Hanley played only his fourth senior match in a Brisbane Lion shirt in the round 8 lost to Geelong. On the back of three defeats the Lions struggled against the reigning Premiers, losing by a huge margin of over 10 goals. Playing from half back Hanley looked off the pace against the class opposition managing only 8 disposals and has not been named on the senior panel since. However since returning to the Reserves he has as before been regularly named amongst the Lions best on ground.

Following on from his sterling form at the start of the season Setanta O'hAlpin has struggled to maintain such a high standard. He kicked 21 goals in the first 8 games but has managed only 4 in 4 since. Two terrible mistakes against Hawthorn, when he played on from marks in front of goal, cost the Blues two majors in a loss they were expected to win. He was back in form kicking three goals in the win over the West Coast Eagles before again scoring a blank in victory over Melbourne. He kicked one goal in a quiet performance in last week's loss to North Melbourne but he is still well on the way to kicking the most goals ever by an Irishman in a season of AFL.

continued next post....

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 05/08/2010 11:52:51    736605

....

2009 GAA young player of the year, Tommy Walsh, began the season in St.Kilda's VFL affiliate, Sandringham, playing in the back line. As he was always a full forward for his native Kerry, this was seen as a way for him to learn and develop in the sport. He has since moved to his more familiar attacking role where he has recently kicked his first goals in the sport. A player of his physicality and natural athletic ability is sure to make an impact in the AFL but he might have to wait a while for a senior game in the Saints ultra competitive line up.

Michael Quinn played six games for Essendon last year before having a nightmare performance in the elimination final loss to the Adelaide Crows. He has yet to be named in the Bombers side this year but his VFL form for Bendigo has impressed kicking three goals last week against Coburg and regularly is named in the best on ground for his side. Also in the VFL, Zac Tuohy has been playing for Carlton's feeder club the Northern Bullants in the back pocket. He kicked his first goals for the club in the demolition of future AFL Gold Coast side.

Two players newly arrived in Australia have been making progress with their sides reserves of late are Niall McKeever of Brisbane and Chris McKague of Sydney. McKeever was named best on ground in defeat to Broadbeach and also amongst the best the following week vs Labrador. McKague has played 6 games at half back for the Swans reserves kicking his first goal in the sport in a draw against Ainslie.

Brian Donnelly of the Adelaide Crows and Conor Meredith of North Melbourne are two Irishmen who have made less progress. Both in their second year in Australia, Donnelly has been playing for the Central Bulldogs reserve side in a key forward role. Following on from last year where he played for Glenelg's reserves, the AFL must seem a long way off. Similarly, Meredith only made 2 appearances in the VFL for Werribee last year and this season he has played exclusively for the reserve side.

Finally, Jamie O'Reilly, the first Irishman to sign for Richmond, has played 6 senior games for Coburg in the VFL. He has twice been named among the best on ground and with Richmond struggling at the foot of the AFL ladder it is not impossible to envisage O'Reilly been given an opportunity in the big time before the season is out.

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 05/08/2010 11:53:30    736606

Cheers Floops, interesting read

Con (Louth) - Posts: 511 - 05/08/2010 12:08:38    736632

Good article, it seems most of them aren't making it over there, I here Brian Donnely is back in Louth.

Louth Gael (Louth) - Posts: 1227 - 05/08/2010 12:19:06    736643

Had high hopes for Quinn. Definitely the best minor i've seen. Most Talented anyway. Dont think Skill level is that high in Aussie rules. It's more attitude and athleticism.

Hanley2 (Longford) - Posts: 420 - 05/08/2010 12:25:15    736650

play a bit of Aussie Rules in London when Gaelic fixtures alllow, concept of the games are pretty similar, the more you play you get the undertstanding of the flight of the ball etc. All in all good game to play and the social life with it is good

Rosineri1 (UK) - Posts: 2099 - 05/08/2010 12:27:42    736654

Has oneone got a list of all the Irish lads over there and for what clubs there with and what counties they come from....???

BigJohn.6_8 (Galway) - Posts: 704 - 05/08/2010 13:16:04    736722

Aussie Rules is an inferior & less skilfull game than Gaelic football. All you have to be is strong and athletic, there is no room for smaller skilfull players & you don't have need the skill to beat a goalkeeper to score a goal. Crap game if you ask me.

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1145 - 05/08/2010 13:16:22    736723

Bit like rugby county man.

Louth Gael (Louth) - Posts: 1227 - 05/08/2010 13:35:44    736754

your knowledge of Aussie rules astounds me county man, have you ever considered taking up a coaching role in the game? AFL watch this space

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 05/08/2010 13:46:27    736771

BigJohn.6_8 is your mouse wheel broken?

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 05/08/2010 13:48:49    736778