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Dry Rot
24-10-2007, 08:45 AM
Carlton joins the Swans and Pies in this - what about us?


Carlton plunders Irish teen stocks
Caroline Wilson | October 24, 2007


CARLTON has secretly signed four Irish teenagers in a bid to unearth fresh international talent as part of the club's aggressive assault on the top half of the league ladder.

Having already lured the AFL's No. 1 player, Chris Judd, and secured a prized priority draft pick, the Blues have adopted a recruiting system in Ireland akin to the old form-four deals to persuade talented Gaelic footballers to commit to the Blues.

Carlton has also convinced 2007 all-Ireland finalist Michael Shields, 20, to fly to Melbourne next month to spend a pre-season with the Blues with a view to placing him on the senior list.

Carlton football operations manager Steven Icke flew into Dublin last night and was scheduled to meet the four junior Gaelic footballers, offering them $1600 apiece on the condition they choose the Blues should they decide to try to make the grade in AFL football.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou, who last week met a delegation from the Gaelic Athletic Association in Paris in a bid to resurrect the international rules series, said he was unaware of the Blues' Irish assault but believed there were no rules to prevent it.

"At the moment the AFL apprenticeship scheme, which can lead to overseas-scholarship players coming into the AFL, does not include Ireland but this is different," Demetriou said.

Carlton is understood to have spoken to four teenagers aged between 16 and 17 from four counties — Galway, Cork, Laois and Armagh. All have been outstanding junior players identified by the Blues' Irish recruiting consultant Gerard Sholle.

Icke and Carlton's new coach Brett Ratten left Italy yesterday following a fact-finding tour of high-profile European club Juventus with Ratten heading home to Melbourne and Icke completing the Irish deal.

The move could cause consternation in Ireland, which two years ago was threatening to call off the international rules series as a result of AFL clubs luring marquee players away from the local competition. However, a sense of inevitability appears to have prevailed over the GAA with Shields the fourth Gaelic footballer heading to AFL pre-season training this year.

Already Brendan Murphy, 18, has committed to the Sydney Swans with teenager Pierce Handley flying to train with Brisbane next month and Collingwood securing Kevin Dyas.

Not only is the international recruiting system another way of securing players outside the draft but the cultural similarities between the two countries, the athletic talent of leading Gaelic footballers and the lack of transfer fees makes the system even more attractive.

Carlton was famous for luring players from around Australia as a VFL club in the early 1980s, securing Craig Bradley, Stephen Kernahan and Peter Motley.

The money that changes hands with the Irish teenagers will be used to assist them in schooling and training.

The Brisbane Lions, meanwhile, look certain to have reached an agreement with the disgruntled Jared Brennan. Brennan, who had shown interest in playing for Essendon, is expected to re-sign on a three-year deal.

http://realfooty.com.au/news/news/carlton-plunders-irish-teen-stocks/2007/10/23/1192941065450.html

The Coon Dog
24-10-2007, 09:51 AM
We once got an Irishman. His name was Bernie Collins & during preseason he got horribly sunburnt down the surfcoast. His name was changed after that to 'Sunbernie'.

Some of you may remember Robert Smith. Unfortunately he's since passed away, but he sponsored Bernie.

I asked Robert, why he sponsored Bernie. He just laughed & said, 'somebodies gotta sponsor the poor bastard'.

GVGjr
24-10-2007, 09:56 AM
Bernie Collins had ability and I think he needed another season. I think our error was trying was trying to play him as a forward rather than as a defender.

LostDoggy
24-10-2007, 10:17 AM
Prefer to use our 'recruiting budget' in Australia.

The Underdog
24-10-2007, 11:32 AM
To be sure, to be sure:o
However you'll find this is the new frontier where the clubs with cash can gain an advantage by buying talent from outside the country. We'll never be able to match their finances and I agree that we're better off concentrating our spending on finding talent and developing players here.

Mantis
24-10-2007, 12:49 PM
The new frontier will be South Africa, by all accounts our game is gaining in popularity and it wont be long before we start seeing some of there young blokes over here on scholarship programs.

LostDoggy
24-10-2007, 01:04 PM
Last frontier Africa? They have been saying this rubbish for years. The game is booming in the USA etc etc.

Go_Dogs
24-10-2007, 01:10 PM
There are already so many untapped resources and leagues in our own country, let alone abroad. I'm not too fussed to miss out on a few Irish kids, but at the same time, it could be an avenue the club looks at going down. Not sure it's financially viable for us at the moment though.

westdog54
24-10-2007, 10:54 PM
Bernie Collins had ability and I think he needed another season. I think our error was trying was trying to play him as a forward rather than as a defender.

IIRC Bernie was homesick, he made the call to head home. I may be wrong though.

LostDoggy
26-10-2007, 07:16 PM
i don't see what ability that recruiters see in irish kids that australian kids don't have, don't get me wrong, some of the irish recruits turn out brilliantly like tadgh kennelly but there are so many kids throughout australia who just miss out on being drafted every year. I see these kids as better recruits as they already have the necessary skills and if they are not good enough they can be delisted straight away where as with an irish recruit it takes 2 or 3 years to find out whether they r good enough or not.

LostDoggy
28-10-2007, 11:40 AM
I think there is still merit in looking at the Irish option but it must be done well. At the moment with our peformances the way that they are plus an already yound and inexperienced list I don't think it would benefit us.
After the revamp to the facilities is completed next year it would be worth exploring this option a bit further.

LostDoggy
30-10-2007, 12:09 AM
Nope - having Irish in laws, I can tell you that family is very important - and homesickness would become a strong feature.
I reckon have a look on our own backyard - I would love to be the team that picks up the first Somalian player, tall, wiry, athletic with stamina and run - imagine our midfield.