I watched the Pies game on saturday and it was clear to me that the bloke who won them the game was Clarke the Irishman. Davis was great in the first and faded and Swan had a good couple of minutes but it was Clarke who took control of the game.

I note that we appear to have given up on the Irish ( probably finances related ), yet we have the best Irishman to have played our game as our President.

It is clear that some of these Irish kids can make it and I would be terribly disappointed if Jim with his connections back home couldn't suss out a couple of boys to try.

I was at a function last night and saw Jim and his brother Brian together and recall that Brian was a Captain of the Irish team some years ago and a star Irish player and former Demon. He should be well connected back home as well.

I hope we aren't ignoring Ireland. Other clubs aren't.

I watched the Pies game on saturday and it was clear to me that the bloke who won them the game was Clarke the Irishman. Davis was great in the first and faded and Swan had a good couple of minutes but it was Clarke who took control of the game.

I note that we appear to have given up on the Irish ( probably finances related ), yet we have the best Irishman to have played our game as our President.

It is clear that some of these Irish kids can make it and I would be terribly disappointed if Jim with his connections back home couldn't suss out a couple of boys to try.

I was at a function last night and saw Jim and his brother Brian together and recall that Brian was a Captain of the Irish team some years ago and a star Irish player and former Demon. He should be well connected back home as well.

I hope we aren't ignoring Ireland. Other clubs aren't.

Well, i think thats probably the problem - other clubs aren't ignoring ireland... which means there are either very few or no decent irish kids that AFL clubs don't already know about... so even with Jimmy's 'connections' we are even with all the other clubs in terms of recruiting

(actually behind them if you compare us to, say, Collingwood for example. Show an irish kid that Lexus Centre then tell them that the dees are currently trying to establish a training base... i know which one i'd lean towards)

It was said during CAC's time that the club wasn't interested in Ireland because of the cost involved. Now that Jimmy's at the helm and he has family in Ireland (including Brian who became a very accomplished Gaelic footballer) it shouldn't be hard to identify the best young talent over there.

The question is where does Jimmy and his current board stand on the issue of getting Irish recruits. With 2 extra rookie places to play around with from this year, you would think we would run with this idea.

It was said during CAC's time that the club wasn't interested in Ireland because of the cost involved. Now that Jimmy's at the helm and he has family in Ireland (including Brian who became a very accomplished Gaelic footballer) it shouldn't be hard to identify the best young talent over there.

The question is where does Jimmy and his current board stand on the issue of getting Irish recruits. With 2 extra rookie places to play around with from this year, you would think we would run with this idea.

Brian lives in Melbourne.

Good point Redleg. Hopefully through connections of Jimmy & Brian's we can swindle someone in through the back door at 16. Leave him somewhere out of recruiters eyes and draft him with our last pick one in one of the National Drafts in a couple of years time? That Clarke is a sensation for the filth.

I'm sure the Crows and Power have done this in the past. Playing them out in in the "back of Bourke" away from the recruiters eyes.