Young Irish recruit for the Saints?

[Moccha]

How many Irish players have actually made it in the AFL. I can only think of 2, Stynes and Kennelly. The odds are against these guys making it in the AFL. Good athletes don't necessarily make good footballers

[stinger]

clarkes not bad....

[SaintPM]

Sean Wight, played 150 games

[Con Gorozidis]

dermott mcnichol


i reckon we will see a few more come through in the next couple of years.

colm begley went very close to making it as a decent player.. the o'hailipins seem to be not good enough.

i think there are a few irish lads on lists at the moment.

[Armoooo]

Yeah I don't really understand this hype over the Irish.
I personally don't rate Clarke as anything special. I think we're better off looking towards PNG, the Island nations etc.

[Con Gorozidis]

yeah. some handy PNG rugby players running around. the pacific islands are close geographically too. the irish obsession does a touch of europe-centric nostalgia about it...

would be great to get a scholarship program going in tonga/samoa/fiji i reckon. afl should give mal michael a full time job doing it. would be great for the game and the kids.

[n1ck]

Marty Clake is a VERY GOOD player. Underrated by many, not by the Pies.

For a bloke who's only been playing the game for 2 years, its unbelievable.

Just watch him get better and better.

[skeptic]

how old is this guy?

ne1?

[saintsRrising]

how old is this guy?

ne1?

OK....

Posted on this website
http://www.antrimgaa.net/news/details/?id=151
on June 30, 2006

NIALL MCKEEVER
Club: CASEMENT'S PORTGLENONE
Age: 17
Weight: 13st.
Height: 6’4’’
Occupation/School: ST. MARYS MAGHERAFELT
Playing Position: FORWARD / MIDFIELD
Member last year’s panel: No
Honours: SW U-16 C/ship McCormick Cup

Which would make him 19 now.

[n1ck]

6'4" and 82.5kg at 17yrs old

[saintsRrising]

6'4" and 82.5kg at 17yrs old

Yes bigger than his team-mates back then ..

[kosifantutti23]

yeah. some handy PNG rugby players running around. the pacific islands are close geographically too. the irish obsession does a touch of europe-centric nostalgia about it...

would be great to get a scholarship program going in tonga/samoa/fiji i reckon. afl should give mal michael a full time job doing it. would be great for the game and the kids.

It might have something to do with the Irish playing a similar sport and not having any possibility of getting paid for it.

I'm not sure when Gwilt came to Australia but Mal Michael moved when he was three. A little bit difficult to spot the talent at that age.

[Megamaguire]

I can't forget the impact of Jim Stynes and Sean white @ Melbourne. Stynes with his Brownlow is obviously the main success proving that a Gaelic Football player can adapt to AFL. Of coarse this is no easy transition.The more recent transition of Keneally and Clarke continue to demonstrate that successful players are over there that can succeed in the AFL.
I'd hate to see Collingwood snare another Clarke or Keneallyat the Saints expense. St. Kilda need to be in every recruiting contest it can. If we think big we have a chance of securing someone special. Keep scouring the country and the rest of the planet.

G O S A I N T S !

[Con Gorozidis]

yeah. some handy PNG rugby players running around. the pacific islands are close geographically too. the irish obsession does a touch of europe-centric nostalgia about it...

would be great to get a scholarship program going in tonga/samoa/fiji i reckon. afl should give mal michael a full time job doing it. would be great for the game and the kids.

It might have something to do with the Irish playing a similar sport and not having any possibility of getting paid for it.

I'm not sure when Gwilt came to Australia but Mal Michael moved when he was three. A little bit difficult to spot the talent at that age.

fair call on the similar game. Rodan came from fiji aged 3. not sure what age naitanui and alipate carlisle came over?

but there are lots of islanders playing rugby league. dont see why afl could not be as succesful as league in the islands?

just read this interesting article and was shocked to see there are 64 teams and 7 aussie rules leagues in PNG.

http://www.theroar.com.au/2008/05/30/a- ... sie-rules/

[Scottish Saint]

the o'hailipins seem to be not good enough.

The O'hAilpins are both from a hurling background rather than Gaelic Football so it was always going to be more difficult for them to adapt.

[Con Gorozidis]

the o'hailipins seem to be not good enough.

The O'hAilpins are both from a hurling background rather than Gaelic Football so it was always going to be more difficult for them to adapt.

ok yes thats right. thanks for that. tough transition. there are not many peopple in worls sports history that have managed to play at the highest level in 2 sports so i certainly have the upmost admiration for anyone who gets close.

deion sanders? anthony mundine, nova peris.. simon odonnel... that english cycler woman?

[saintsRrising]

McKeever arrived in Melboune this morning.

However unfortunately we are "sharing" him with Richmond as he spends 1 week with us...and 1 week with them.

Either Club can take him......and possibly the Roos too

Though it is good that the Saints are looking....

[HXT]

Ricky Nixon said on SEN this AM that the best Irish recruit to come out of Ireland has just agreed to come Australia. He will train with the Saints for one week in a few weeks time. He is in the mould of a Wayne Carey and the most promising prospect he has seen.

[Batnoe]

am looking forward to the prospects of having an international player, not classed in out TPP, but it is more money that our club pays from our profits, we could snare the best thing from Ireland...they have some pretty exciting players and if they can adapt to our game it will be fantastic....

[Batnoe]

on AFL site there are 2 other irish dudes that are going to train with us

so we could have up to 4

but def 3 training with us

very good, we should get at least one, tommy walsh is the one they hadnt mentioned prior to

[SaintBot]

Tommy Walsh

[Devilhead]

From wiki

Tommy Walsh is an Irish Gaelic footballer with the Kerins O'Rahilly's club team and Kerry senior and U21 teams. He is the son of former Kerry midfielder and full-back Sean Walsh. Walsh is regarded as a talented and very promsing footballer, playing at midfield or full-forward.[1]

Walsh was a star player for the Kerry team which reached the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final in 2006. He made his debut for the Kerry seniors in the 2007 National Football League, coming on as a substitute wing-forward on March 11 against Limerick. Kerry went on to win the 2007 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. [2]

In 2008, Walsh won the All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship with Kerry.[3]

Walsh will be spending one week of preseason training with Australian Rules Football club, St Kilda. If the trial is successful then he can agree to sign on with any team as an international rookie.

[saintbrat]

5:32 PM Tue 11 November, 2008

THE TEENAGER voted Ireland's best young Gaelic footballer will train with St Kilda later this month as he weighs up a possible move to the AFL.

Forward Tommy Walsh, 19, was last month named the Gaelic Athletic Association's young footballer of the year, so the news that the amateur Irish code could lose him to the AFL is expected to cause consternation in his homeland.
http://saints.com.au/tabid/5315/Default ... wsid=69682

[saintbrat]

on AFL site there are 2 other irish dudes that are going to train with us

so we could have up to 4

but def 3 training with us

very good, we should get at least one, tommy walsh is the one they hadnt mentioned prior to

http://saints.com.au/tabid/5315/Default ... wsid=69682

Next week, Meredith will train with North Melbourne, while McKeever will spend the week with the Saints.

Another Irishman, James Kielt, will train with both the Kangaroos and St Kilda in coming weeks, while Walsh and compatriot David Moran will try their hand with the Saints

McKeever
Kielt
Moran
Walsh

4 by the end of the month

[degruch]

yeah. some handy PNG rugby players running around. the pacific islands are close geographically too. the irish obsession does a touch of europe-centric nostalgia about it...

would be great to get a scholarship program going in tonga/samoa/fiji i reckon. afl should give mal michael a full time job doing it. would be great for the game and the kids.

It might have something to do with the Irish playing a similar sport and not having any possibility of getting paid for it.

I'm not sure when Gwilt came to Australia but Mal Michael moved when he was three. A little bit difficult to spot the talent at that age.

fair call on the similar game. Rodan came from fiji aged 3. not sure what age naitanui and alipate carlisle came over?

but there are lots of islanders playing rugby league. dont see why afl could not be as succesful as league in the islands?

just read this interesting article and was shocked to see there are 64 teams and 7 aussie rules leagues in PNG.

http://www.theroar.com.au/2008/05/30/a- ... sie-rules/

I'm with you Con - we should be investing in some International development programs in these nations, they are ripe for our game, it'd do the AFL a world of good to begin working harder to sew its seed in new 'local' areas. I don't know if the AFL use guys like Michael, Rodan or Natanui anywhere near enough from a marketing perspective.

I'd love to see the Saints leading the way and getting some form of scholarship going.