Shields accepts Carlton's trial offer

Gaelic Games News round-upThe relationship between the GAA and the AFL could deteriorate further with the news that Cork defender Michael Shields has agreed to a three-week trial with the Australian Rules club Carlton Blues, and will travel to Melbourne this weekend with the possibly of returning on a contract basis in the near future.

Still only 21, Shields played a key role in Cork's progress to this year's All-Ireland football final, where they lost to Kerry, and the St Finbarr's clubman also won an All-Ireland under-21 medal with Cork earlier this season.

Shields is expected to stay with fellow Corkmen and Blues' players Setanta and Aisake Ó hAilpín during his stint in Melbourne, and while it is only a trial, Carlton's manager of football operations, Steven Icke, has expressed the club's strong interest in keeping him in Australia on a longer-term basis.

"We haven't offered him a contract," said Icke, "but we are offering him the opportunity to come over and spend some time at the club and get a feel for what we do and see if he wants to play AFL football.

"Aisake played [ football] with Michael at home because they're around about the same age. They're pretty happy that they're going to have another lad from home spend some time with them. It would be some sort of record to have three Cork guys playing on the same team, but let's not get ahead of ourselves yet, he hasn't been offered a contract at this stage.

"But we wouldn't be bringing him halfway around the world if we didn't think there was some potential for him to be able to play at our level. But that's only part of the equation. He's got to feel comfortable over here, he's got to like our environment and we've got to see how well he adapts to what we do."

This comes at a time when the GAA are already coming under fire for the increasing recruitment of underage players to the AFL, which in recent weeks has included Armagh's Kevin Dyas, Mayo's Pierce Hanley, and Carlow's Brendan Murphy. It also comes against the background of the sensitive negotiations to revive the International Rules series with Australia, which has been interpreted as a sort of shop window for GAA recruitment.

In addition, the Melbourne Age newspaper last week reported Carlton Blues were also engaged in secret talks with four teenagers, from Galway, Cork, Laois and Armagh, but the club has since denied this.

Clearly the lure of the AFL is increasing, with former Down underage star Martin Clarke fast making a name for himself at Collingwood, and Colm Begley likewise with Brisbane Lions - both of whom have been at least partly inspired by the success of former Kerry underage star Tadhg Kennelly at the Sydney Swans.

GAA president Nickey Brennan met AFL officials two weeks ago to resume talks over a potential revival of the International Rules series. The issue of recruiting GAA players was also expected to be tabled, with Brennan suggesting that clubs or counties may have the right to seek compensation for the loss of such players.

Meanwhile, new Clare hurling manager Mike McNamara has confirmed Tony Carmody will be a part of his panel next year, having met with the Inagh star earlier this week.

Carmody, an All Star nominee in 2005 and 2006, opted out of the Clare panel last year for personal reasons: "Tony Carmody is recovering from an injury at the moment," said McNamara. "He is in rehab and will return to training in five to six weeks. We need all of our good players in Clare and the Tony Carmodys of this world are scarce."

It has also been confirmed long-serving stars Frank Lohan and Colin Lynch will return for another season but will be excused from training until after Christmas.

Andy Comerford, the former Kilkenny star, is set to manage the Kildare senior hurling team.

Comerford is the firm favourite to replace Ben Dorney.