Feb 13 2008
Why Irish AFL Players Get So Good So Quickly
The footballer in this photo here is one Pearce Hanley, a wee lad of 19 from a dairy farming village in County Mayo who’s currently a long way from home. He’s one of Leigh Matthew’s prized Irish recruits for the Brisbane Lions, and he’s discovering something we’ve known all along — Australian football and Gaelic football aren’t that different.
“At the start it was tough just learning how to use the ball, bouncing it and kicking it and I was struggling with that but I’ve got the hang of that now. Now we’re going into match practice and it’s just learning new rules and where to go and where not to be…
“Apart from the ball and tackling it’s not that different at all. Tactically and the way you play the game, it is nearly the same.”
Now you know why the AFL is busy making so many inroads in Ireland. The talent is there, and it already knows how to play the game. For similar reasons, USA Rugby chases after college football players who have used up their eligibility, but because the codes aren’t quite as similar, they don’t have the nearly the same impact on rugby in the U.S. as Gaelic Football players do in Australia.
It also explains why International Rules hasn’t quite kicked the bucket just yet. The Collingwood Magpies are attempting to schedule a goodwill trip to Croke Park for an International Rules match against County Dublin. It’s not quite the brutal Australia v. Ireland test matches of recent years, but it might actually do something to keep that code alive and interesting.
Then again, maybe that “goodwill” element is only a cover for Mick Malthouse as he scouts for new talent. That seems to be the only reason any AFL coach looks at Ireland these days — and boy, are they looking.
(Spotted on World Footy News)
6 Responses to “Why Irish AFL Players Get So Good So Quickly”
[...] database that clubs could access for an annual fee of about $30,000. We all know that the games of Gaelic Football and Australian Rules Football in quite similar and the Irish tend to pick the game u… this is why the clubs are so keen on joining the recruiting network. And it looks as if they are [...]
Hey where’s my kudos ? ! I demand kudos
Mean while Cork has 1 more day to get their house in order or be kicked out of the league
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007-2008_Cork_players_strike
Kudos, Simon.
Hanley says the sports aren’t that much different yet in the photo he shanks his kick ! If he was that good, he’d have got a run in the NAB Cup opener.
Its a worry to see a lot of young talent interested in leaving the GAA for AFL. In fact its a worry to see that AFL seems to be gaining interest in Ireland as a sport, its interesting also that the GAA is considering introducing the mark, i have one piece of advice for the Gaa be very very careful dont allow the Aussie’s to pick your pockets!