Saints on TOP SECRET Irish scouting trip

[shrodes]

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2023/08/14/ ... f-rookies/

Carlton and St Kilda are on the cusp of signing international rookies from Ireland following whirlwind scouting missions earlier this month.

SEN.com.au understands the Blues are completing medicals with two young Gaelic footballers in Dublin this week, while the Saints are keen on another player.

Though the two clubs did not cross paths, they had similar objectives and were aware of each other’s scouting priorities in Ireland.

Carlton list boss Nick Austin, national recruiting manager Mark Agresta and footy director Greg Williams spent nine days in Ireland, arriving back last Monday.

They hired an athletics track and tested up to 20 young men aged between 18 and 22 in kicking, marking, handballing, plus other skill-based attributes. They also conducted a two-kilometre time trial and measured GPS data.

From there, the trio had roughly 10 home visits before shortlisting the best six or so for further testing.

It’s understood Carlton has landed on its preferred two players, with an official announcement coming as soon as this week.

St Kilda list boss Stephen Silvagni, who has a famously tense relationship with his former club, arrived in Ireland after Carlton flew home and with a focus on one specific player.

There, he joined Graeme ‘Gubby’ Allen in pursuit of Irish talent to top up the club’s list.

Sources with knowledge of their plans said the player they were most keen on was also on the initial radar of the Blues.

St Kilda’s mission appeared more covert than Carlton’s. Allen and Silvagni declined to comment when contacted by SEN.com.au.

It’s believed Silvagni was in Ireland for no more than a few days.

Of note was one of the men who ran clinics while the Saints pair were there. It was former fitness boss Nick Walsh, who quit the club earlier this year in part due to differences with coach Ross Lyon.

Walsh and Allen are close from their time at GWS and Walsh’s skillset extends beyond just conditioning and fitness.

Gold Coast also has representation in Ireland, though it’s understood the Suns’ priority focuses more on consolidating their AFLW talent.

The entire salary of Category B rookies is absorbed outside the salary cap and there are no limits as to how many international rookies clubs can have on their list.

A clear limitation is not just the cost of paying the players, but also funding coaching to upskill them to become AFL footballers.

Carlton currently has one Category B rookie on its list: 2021 Next Generation Academy product Domanic Akuei.

In March the club’s AFLW program signed Dayna Finn and Erone Fitzpatrick.

St Kilda has two Category B rookies: defender Angus McLennan and Jack Peris who recently debuted versus Gold Coast.

Clubs can sign Category B rookies at any time of the year. Alex Keath, Jack Buckley and Changkuoth Jiath are three examples currently on AFL lists.

To be eligible as a Category B rookie, you must not have played competitive football in a three-year period before being selected.

[Vortex]

my gosh, here we go again, no wonder we are permanently anchored to the bottom of the ladder, more bloody project players.

What a waste of space and low percentage decision making

[SaintPav]

Top secret?

[lewdogs]

my gosh, here we go again, no wonder we are permanently anchored to the bottom of the ladder, more bloody project players.

What a waste of space and low percentage decision making

Last year's premiers had a decent Irishman in the side.

[Trev from the Bush]

Tommy Walsh revisited?

[Vortex]

my gosh, here we go again, no wonder we are permanently anchored to the bottom of the ladder, more bloody project players.

What a waste of space and low percentage decision making

Last year's premiers had a decent Irishman in the side.

Would that be the premiers from one of the richest clubs in Australia with the best resources and one of the best recruiters in land.

project players are low hanging fruit, low percentage strategies even with all of the tax kick backs and government grants provided as incentives.

[sainter104]

It was former fitness boss Nick Walsh, who quit the club earlier this year in part due to differences with coach Ross Lyon.

Was reported family reasons at time ..first i heard about differences with Lyon

[sainter104]

It was former fitness boss Nick Walsh, who quit the club earlier this year in part due to differences with coach Ross Lyon.

Was reported family reasons at time ..first i heard about differences with Lyon

[sainter104]

It was former fitness boss Nick Walsh, who quit the club earlier this year in part due to differences with coach Ross Lyon.

Was reported family reasons at time ..first i heard about differences with Lyon

[lewdogs]

my gosh, here we go again, no wonder we are permanently anchored to the bottom of the ladder, more bloody project players.

What a waste of space and low percentage decision making

Last year's premiers had a decent Irishman in the side.

Would that be the premiers from one of the richest clubs in Australia with the best resources and one of the best recruiters in land.

project players are low hanging fruit, low percentage strategies even with all of the tax kick backs and government grants provided as incentives.

If they're the best shouldn't we be emulating them?

[Jacks Back]

It's not a secret anymore

[asiu]

nor the Walsh exit

not very good at keeping secrets

[Vortex]

my gosh, here we go again, no wonder we are permanently anchored to the bottom of the ladder, more bloody project players.

What a waste of space and low percentage decision making

Last year's premiers had a decent Irishman in the side.

Would that be the premiers from one of the richest clubs in Australia with the best resources and one of the best recruiters in land.

project players are low hanging fruit, low percentage strategies even with all of the tax kick backs and government grants provided as incentives.

If they're the best shouldn't we be emulating them?

run the numbers on the Irish players who played in a flag, is it two? one Sydney, one at Geelong? both rich clubs with massive resources. Now compare that with the 1000s of players that churn through the AFL system. My point is it's a very, very low percentage strategy.

We are St Kilda, project players have been an abject failure at our club.

Walsh said we were going to build a list through the national draft.

We are already straying from that strategy, maybe why Walsh isn't with us anymore.

[SinCitySainter]

Category 2 rookies are almost a free hit. They are outside the salary cap and you can carry as many as you wish. Yes, they are low return strategies but they are low risk as well. There have been more misses than hits but that is the same with all rookies.

[SinCitySainter]

Category 2 rookies are almost a free hit. They are outside the salary cap and you can carry as many as you wish. Yes, they are low return strategies but they are low risk as well. There have been more misses than hits but that is the same with all rookies.

[Impatient Sainter]

Its surprising given the number of academy players we have coming through. Does that mean Peris doesnt get any more time? If they think and Irish kid is going to develop any quicker history tells us otherwise.

[B.M]

Colm Begley
Tommy Walsh
Jason Holmes
Darragh Joyce
Ray Connellen

Mountain
The other Māori lad

We’ve killed it with overseas projects

[B.M]

Joe Baker Thomas

[SAINT-LEE]

my gosh, here we go again, no wonder we are permanently anchored to the bottom of the ladder, more bloody project players.

What a waste of space and low percentage decision making

Last year's premiers had a decent Irishman in the side.

Would that be the premiers from one of the richest clubs in Australia with the best resources and one of the best recruiters in land.

project players are low hanging fruit, low percentage strategies even with all of the tax kick backs and government grants provided as incentives.

If they're the best shouldn't we be emulating them?

run the numbers on the Irish players who played in a flag, is it two? one Sydney, one at Geelong? both rich clubs with massive resources. Now compare that with the 1000s of players that churn through the AFL system. My point is it's a very, very low percentage strategy.

We are St Kilda, project players have been an abject failure at our club.

Walsh said we were going to build a list through the national draft.

We are already straying from that strategy, maybe why Walsh isn't with us anymore.

Your math is perfect.... 86% of the time.


First: how Irish players have been AFL listed?
Second: How many have played in finals?
Itll be a large percentage...much larger than you think purely due to such a small group.

153000 ( I made up #) AFL listed players and how many play finals.

[IluvHarvey]

my gosh, here we go again, no wonder we are permanently anchored to the bottom of the ladder, more bloody project players.

What a waste of space and low percentage decision making

Last year's premiers had a decent Irishman in the side.

Would that be the premiers from one of the richest clubs in Australia with the best resources and one of the best recruiters in land.

project players are low hanging fruit, low percentage strategies even with all of the tax kick backs and government grants provided as incentives.

If they're the best shouldn't we be emulating them?

run the numbers on the Irish players who played in a flag, is it two? one Sydney, one at Geelong? both rich clubs with massive resources. Now compare that with the 1000s of players that churn through the AFL system. My point is it's a very, very low percentage strategy.

We are St Kilda, project players have been an abject failure at our club.

Walsh said we were going to build a list through the national draft.

We are already straying from that strategy, maybe why Walsh isn't with us anymore.

Not that it matters but didn’t Geelong have 2 in their team last year?

[Devilhead]

Aren't all rookie picks project players ?

[B.M]

No

Most Rookies are players who just missed out on being drafted

And have played footy since they were in u9s come through elite pathways and have shown an attribute that may be an AFL quality

[B.M]

Ie/

Angus McLennan
Max Heath
Jack Peris

[Devilhead]

Irish rookies have played from a young age, come thru elite pathways and have shown attributes that may be AFL quality ...... if they haven't then why are they getting picked up?

Quite a few Irish players have put some highly touted top 10 draftees to shame

Gaelic skills are very interchangeable with AFL skills ..... I played with and against some Irish guys in leagues around the world and some were absolute guns from day one ..... just as some Aussie guys playing Gaelic first time which I have done also

As for the 3 guys you mentioned only one has played a game of senior AFL footy and a fairly average one at that hence why they should also be considered project players

[CURLY]

Seriously just f*** off with this stuff. Get out to local footy and get kids that actually love the game and grow up with it. I’ve watched an 18 year half forward / mid kick 47 goals in 12 senior games this season.

The local leagues has kids like this everywhere.