GAA deny Kennelly's AFL role is a worry

A REPORT in the Australian media that the AFL and GAA relationship is at “breaking point”over the appointment of Tadhg Kennelly to oversee an academy that will source Irish players for Australian Rules foot has been denied by Pat Daly, the association’s head of games.

The AFL initiative has been tentatively welcomed by Daly. It is hoped that the move will eradicate the largely unchecked poaching of underage GAA players by agents and scouts.

“There is a very good working relationship there between the GAA and AFL,” said Daly yesterday. “Any agreements that were put in place were done so with the players’ best interests in mind so they wouldn’t be used or abused in any shape or form. That’s how both organisations are approaching it.”

The GAA were made aware of a plan to develop this role during wide-ranging talks with the AFL back in 2008. However, GAA director general Páraic Duffy did confirm to The Irish Times yesterday that there had been no further discussions on this issue during talks with AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou during last month's International Rules series.

Kennelly is the only man to have won an All-Ireland football title, with Kerry in 2009, and an AFL Premiership medal, with the Sydney Swans in 2005. Having recently retired after 197 games for the Swans, he is back in Ireland and turned out, alongside older brother Noel, for Listowel Emmets in their North Kerry championship defeat to Paul Galvin’s Finuge on Sunday.

Kennelly is expected to take up a position coaching underage footballers in Sydney, while also overseeing international player development. He will report to AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan. He has also been tasked with putting together an AFL Europe team to play against the touring AFL Academy next April.

An unnamed Australian "talent spotter", quoted in The Age newspaper, describing Kennelly's appointment as a means of increasing the flow of amateur Irish talent into the professional Australian sport, asked, "Why would the AFL be funding Tadhg Kennelly to go and develop players in Ireland? The GAA will blow their top.

“They’re supposed to be helping one another, and what do they say? ‘We’re going to run development programs for Gaelic kids to come and try and play AFL football so the AFL clubs can come and watch them all and then pick who they want’.”

Collingwood and Carlton pay for non-sanctioned trials in Ireland to unearth Irish talent like Marty Clarke from Down and Zach Tuohy of Laois. Dublin’s dual minor sensation Ciarán Kilkenny is the latest player reportedly poised to take up a rookie contract with Carlton.

Daly sees the new development as a means to cut out the “middle men” who have profited from delivering Irish talent to AFL clubs.

“We have had a number of operations coming in here engaging in this sort of thing. We’re taking out agents and middlemen so if this is done in a co-ordinated way, by somebody like Tadhg Kennelly, with his credentials, one would assume it is going to be better for all sides.

“Basically, as I understand it, you won’t now have recruiting agents like Ricky Nixon coming in here. Tadhg Kennelly has a far better understanding of this country and a far better understanding of the AFL and GAA and their relationship than the likes of Ricky Nixon would’ve had.”

COROFIN APPEAL

GALWAY CHAMPIONS Corofin have lodged an appeal to the suspension of two of their members and the €5,100 fine dished out to them following the controversial Connacht SFC club final. “The club feels aggrieved and have requested an appeal or hearing,” said a Corofin spokesman.