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Post by Seoirse Ui Duic on Oct 10, 2016 14:45:46 GMT
THREE clubs are in the race to sign Irish prospect Mark O'Connor, who finished his stint in Australia with an excellent run at the NAB AFL Draft Combine. www.afl.com.au/news/2016-10-10/three-clubs-circling-irish-prospect-mark-oconnorGeelong, North Melbourne and Melbourne are understood to be keen to sign the 19-year-old, who travelled to Melbourne from Ireland for last weekend's combine at Etihad Stadium. O'Connor trialed at five clubs (the three chasing his signature plus Essendon and Carlton) during his two-week stay, but has headed back to Ireland to make a decision on where he wants to start his AFL career. He can be signed as a category B rookie. The 189cm youngster from County Kerry, who is considered one of the brightest prospects in Gaelic football, came fourth overall in the 3km time trial on Sunday with a time of 9:56 to close out his time at the combine before flying back to Ireland. "I do want to pursue an AFL career. It's definitely something I want to do. It's hard work but it's just so rewarding," he told AFL.com.au. "At home it's all amateur sport and there's no professionals in the game at all. To be able to spend all of my time trying to improve my game is something that I'd like.
"I'll go back home and talk to my parents and talk things through and see what's on the table." O'Connor said he was taken aback by his time at AFL clubs and the size of the facilities, and he also attended the Western Bulldogs' Grand Final win over the Sydney Swans earlier this month.
An AFL career was not on his radar until he was asked to test at the International Combine in Ireland earlier this year. "What I've learned over the past few weeks is everything happens quickly in the AFL. Only a couple of months ago Tadhg Kennelly invited me to the combine held in Ireland and I had played a lot of Gaelic football growing up," O'Connor said. "There's a few Irish guys out here now and they've opened the door for me to come through the system. I went to the combine in Ireland and Tadhg was interested in bringing me out to see how I'd go against these guys." O'Connor trained alongside the country's most talented draft hopefuls ahead of the NAB All Stars game on Grand Final eve and impressed recruiters with his clean overhead marking and tidy kicking. He said he had been "messing about" with the ball in his hands while back at home but had not practiced kicking before landing in Melbourne. "I looked at all the videos on YouTube about how to kick a footy and that's great, but you need someone next to you and I had absolutely no experience with the ball," O'Connor said. "I also didn't want to get into any bad habits with my kicking so I waited until I got to Australia before I started to kick the ball, and Tadhg took me for a couple of sessions. I felt more comfortable then under his watchful eye.
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keane
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Post by keane on Oct 10, 2016 14:53:13 GMT
ugh
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Post by Seoirse Ui Duic on Oct 10, 2016 15:31:06 GMT
Wishing him all the best, whatever he decided to do. Can't blame a young lad for being a professional athlete and he is certainly someone that could do just that. I would have loved to see him play with the seniors and maybe he still will in a couple of years. Or it might end like Tommy Walsh: we are all sure that once he comes back he will use the skills learned in Oz to great effect and years as a professional athlete will be enough to make sure he dominates the sport of Gaelic football, AFL's poor amateur cousin. It just didn't happen. I hope it might still happen for Tommy and I hope Mark will play a role for Kerry in the future, but it might not be the case. Dare I say that Kerry's lack of recent success would be a contributing factor to youngsters leaving? After all if they are assured a few All Ireland medals they would be less tempted. Will follow his career with interest and hopefully he can equal Tadhg's record of winning both a grand final and an All-Ireland final (or two).
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Post by taggert on Oct 10, 2016 18:03:15 GMT
Well thats that then as the fella says. No shortage of takers. No surprise either. Best midielder I have ever seen under 18 and I have seen some very good uns. Nice one Tadhg!
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Post by Annascaultilidie on Oct 10, 2016 18:14:20 GMT
The only thing that would bother me is all the moaners giving out about it for years a lá the Tommy Walsh situation.
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Post by givehimaball on Oct 10, 2016 19:01:18 GMT
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Post by kerrygold on Oct 10, 2016 19:12:47 GMT
What cut does Kennelly get? At what point does the development squads in Kerry become a cherry picking orchard for Kennelly? Who is Kennelly's next target? I presume David Clifford?
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Post by A.N. Other on Oct 10, 2016 19:30:16 GMT
I think it's crazy to knock a fella for wanting to go to Australia and be a professional athlete. I actually can't fathom how people can not understand the reasoning behind it. Knowing a share of fellas to play minors the last couple of years, I can say it is nearly an aim for all of them. They all want to win all Irelands with Kerry but they all want to make it in the AFL too.
Is there anything wrong with what Tadgh is doing? Giving lads the opportunity to make a living, be a professional athlete, and at the very least experience a different country and culture for a few years. I think its madness he gives these lads a pathway through to the AFL, and I think its great. Obviously it's not good for Kerry Football, but the most important thing is that these young players like Mark get the opportunity to play in the AFL. He clearly is interested and more power to him. I hope he gets what he wants regardless of how bad it is Kerry football
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2016 20:11:20 GMT
Cannot blame the guy for trying. He is a young guy and unlikely to be winning senior all Ireland's over the next couple of years.
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Post by Seoirse Ui Duic on Oct 10, 2016 20:18:25 GMT
For young lads it is a great opportunity and fair play to Tadhg for offering them that opportunity. It is the GAA's fault that they can't entice lads to stay here. For Mark it is a huge opportunity and he might, or might not, come back a much better player. Tommy was given very few chances since his return and hopefully he can work his way back into the team if he enjoys it. Whatever Mark choses or not, I hope he makes the best choice for him. Even though there is interest in him he might not take any of the contracts and not everyone enjoys living so far away from home. The choice is up to him and I'm sure he will think it through really well.
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Post by sullyschoice on Oct 10, 2016 20:37:30 GMT
I dont blame a young lad for taking the opportunity, but I still get such a pain im my hole when Kennelly starts his poaching roadshow. Pity he wouldnt snag a few of the Dubs while he is at it.
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Post by Kingdomson on Oct 10, 2016 20:53:23 GMT
kerrygaa.proboards.com/thread/6632/kerry-intercounty-preseason-discussion-threadNo surprise with this developing news story on Mark O'Connor, as mentioned already in Kerry intercounty preseason 2016/17 discussion thread, I fully expected it really. I imagine in time for sure the likes of David Clifford will also be tapped up. Did some people really think Mark was just going for a holiday tour to clubs? I don't believe people to be that naive but I can fully understand the desire or hope from a Kerry point of view for this story not to be true. Well, we’re going to have to get used to this and it will happen more often. I’ve no doubt but Tadhg Kennelly, as the AFL's international talent co-ordinator for Ireland has a very healthy portfolio of young potential recruits for the Aussie AFL market from Ireland. If wasn’t him exploiting it then it would be somebody else. It's a sickener for the future of Kerry football and the GAA in general but what can we do about it? Answer: Nothing.
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Post by taggert on Oct 10, 2016 20:53:25 GMT
Tadhg giving him an opportunity? Marks innate talent and ability is giving him the opportunity and a blind man could see it. Tadhg Kennelly is looking after number one, something he is very good at. He is certainly no sporting soothsayer.....
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Post by Annascaultilidie on Oct 10, 2016 20:56:48 GMT
He hasn't signed nothing as far as we know.
The levels of bitterness towards Kennelly continue to surprise me.
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Post by veteran on Oct 10, 2016 21:34:02 GMT
It is a huge disappointment that Mark is going, nauseating indeed. Nobody can argue with his wish to become a professional athlete and I sincerely wish him the best of luck and an injury free career. It is heartbreaking to see such a prospect departing after all the coaching he got at club, school and county level. When a LOI soccer player is transferred to England there is at least a financial gain for the club. In this situation, there is zilch for Mark's previous tutors., just a wistful contemplation of what might have been. I have repeatedly championed the termination of that mongrel game we have devised with the Australians. What in the name of God is in it for us.? Ending it of course will not appreciably reduce this player drain bit at least it will those people know that we are unhappy seeing some of our brightest and best being siphoned off.
Some might argue that we lose more players at underage level to soccer and rugby. That maybe so most of those are not players who have made a significant impact at school and underage level like e.g Mark and Tommy Walsh. Let us hope at least that Mark does not come back, like Tommy, fit only for the scrap heap. What a waste of a sparkling football career. To think that David Clifford could follow the same trail is totally demoralising.
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Post by Ballyfireside on Oct 11, 2016 8:12:47 GMT
The harm is now done and making local media and GAA resources freely available to raise our Tadhg's profile was madness. Good luck to Mark and I agree with Veteran that compromise rules is a bad idea as an amateur sport can't compete. It comes back to what I have always said about how the GAA community is most vulnerable to vested interests and now we read that our insurance is four times the EU average and we already have the dearest solicitors in the world -facts! And look at what it did to Tommy Walsh -he is the greatest loser of all and a close friend of Tadhg's. We would have 2/3 extra Sams if Tommy stayed with us and it is an expensive experiment.
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kot
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Post by kot on Oct 11, 2016 9:03:10 GMT
Pity this recruitment team go pilfer the likes of Fenton from Dublin!
Food for thought, what if we through Mark in for a few games this year in the league or even championship, would it maybe have swayed him to stay on?
Cliffored a stonewall certainty to be wooed by Tadhg aswell.
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Post by baurtregaum on Oct 11, 2016 9:27:55 GMT
A few thoughts. Assuming that this is a done deal I can only wish him well. It is a tough road. For every Kennelly or Stynes success story there is a Tommy Walsh is that game. In relation to Marty Clarke I recall someone from Down saying that he came back a worse footballer.
The grating thing for me is that if we keep the development squads together we stand a reasonable chance of having a great decade of success in the near future (another assumption). Mark will know this and is opting for Oz regardless. I’d imagine when Zach Tuhoy or Marty Clarke assessed their options the lack of success in their respective counties will have been a factor. Dingle will be a real force in the championship in the coming years given their young talent so it is not like he will be starved of success in Ireland.
You can put your house on Clifford and 1 or 2 more being tapped up. I presume the county board/Eamonn are also speaking with him, outlining his potential future in their plans.
If I were him with his talent it is very tempting – even if you never make it you live in a great climate as a professional footballer – a dream for any lad in his twenties. The Kerry economy must also be a factor.
Like a lot of people on here I have very mixed feelings on Kennelly, but I feel that some things being stated here are a bit over the top. If Mark decides to go he will at least have a mentor who did it the hard way and will understand exactly what Mark will need in terms of support. The previous agent, Mr. Nixon left a lot to be desired by all accounts.
Love him or hate him Tadgh is an improvement here. Also he has achieved the highest honours in both codes – a rare feat. Saying he got lucky with Kerry is a bit unfair. He should have stayed on in 2010 as I think he would have improved again but he made a rod for his own back with the book and Kerry paid the price.
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Post by kerrybhoy06 on Oct 11, 2016 10:30:56 GMT
Pity this recruitment team go pilfer the likes of Fenton from Dublin! Food for thought, what if we through Mark in for a few games this year in the league or even championship, would it maybe have swayed him to stay on? Cliffored a stonewall certainty to be wooed by Tadhg aswell. Maybe you're right and it would beg the question that is often asked on here- why does it take us so bloody long to bring talent through? Dublin are able to blood talent quite early- we seem to think that a player cant be brought into senior until he is out of under 21s.
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Post by champer on Oct 11, 2016 11:04:21 GMT
Aussie Rules testing is back on key metrics and one of the main ones is the 3km time trial. March come 3rd in 9:36 which is a great time No fear of Clifford id say in that regard
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Post by inforthebreaks on Oct 11, 2016 11:21:02 GMT
I wouldn't hold it against the young fella or the aussie rules crowd. I think the biggest losers here are Dingle and Kerry GAA and these are the organisations who have committed a lot of time, energy and resources in developing his skill set and athleticism to the point where he is now considered good enough to play professional sport.
As someone else mentioned if Home Farm or Tralee Dynamos develop a player and he then signs for an english professional club they get recompensed accordingly. It might be worth the GAA negotiating the same in these instances. A donation to the Dingle Club plus the Kerry development squad set up would be appropriate i feel. It is these two groups that have moulded him to where he is. And now when they would hope to be reaping the benefits of all their hardwork it appears to have been somewhat wasted.
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G_S_J
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Post by G_S_J on Oct 11, 2016 11:43:36 GMT
David Clifford is almost certainly on the list to be picked up next. I wonder is there anyway the county board with the help of Kerry Group could dip into their pockets and attempt to match what AFL clubs would be paying him? We can't have our best talent poached under our noses without a fight.
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keane
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Post by keane on Oct 11, 2016 11:44:32 GMT
Dangerous game, looking for compensation. I would much rather clubs remain training local young lads because we love the club, the area, the games and because the training is good for the young lads.
I'm fully convinced that if ever compensation comes in for players moving to the AFL we would quickly turn our clubs into bona fide businesses where selling players to the AFL would be the goal rather than the situation now where it is a bittersweet occasional occurance.
Plus, in order to create a workable mechanism by which we could handle it we would have to give clubs some form of ownership over players in the form of signed contracts surely, and we know what direction we're going in there.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2016 12:24:13 GMT
All the best to Mark. Great Footballer. Big loss to Kerry but hard to say no to an opportunity like that. I think he'll do well. Much more talented than Tommy Walsh was at his age and much more athletic. Hopefully Barry O'Sullivan can step up now and stake a claim for a place on the Kerry team next year. Mark Ryan is a good prospect also.
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Post by inforthebreaks on Oct 11, 2016 12:24:30 GMT
I doubt the local amateur soccer clubs that nurture talent for the big english clubs have contracts other than registration and membership fees, same as the gaa clubs have. I can't ever see it becoming business either, where the goal is to "sell" a player to AFL. I think a small fee, €5000 off the top off my head, could be put into coaching, facilities etc. and help improve the next generation of players. Certainly not enough to make a club rich and put in years of work with a player and have it as their aim.
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Post by hatchetman on Oct 11, 2016 12:27:08 GMT
Aussie Rules testing is back on key metrics and one of the main ones is the 3km time trial. March come 3rd in 9:36 which is a great time No fear of Clifford id say in that regard Are you saying that he's not as athletic as Mark?
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kot
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Post by kot on Oct 11, 2016 12:39:36 GMT
David Clifford is almost certainly on the list to be picked up next. I wonder is there anyway the county board with the help of Kerry Group could dip into their pockets and attempt to match what AFL clubs would be paying him? We can't have our best talent poached under our noses without a fight. That amounts to professionalism so that would be a very taboo move!
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Post by Annascaultilidie on Oct 11, 2016 14:00:32 GMT
Why are ye all assumming this is a fait accompli?
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Post by Mickmack on Oct 11, 2016 14:51:55 GMT
This is a short bit of a video of Mark in the 2015 final.
I wish him all the best.
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Post by Annascaultilidie on Oct 11, 2016 15:48:02 GMT
This is a short bit of a video of Mark in the 2015 final. I wish him all the best. Amazing skill in the air.
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