We were the ones who introduced the idea of importing young promising athletes from Ireland to play our game and had great success with Sean Wight and Jim Stynes.

At some point in time the process was no longer cost effective and we gave it up allowing other clubs to benefit from the success stories. There have been a few good ones and a few failures but some clubs believe that the Emerald Isle remains a fertile field for recruiting players to the game.

And now there's another young kid from Ireland creating interest and guess which clubs are the leading contenders to recruit him?

Next big Irish import has AFL clubs on the prowl

Going on recent looks at the Irish.

That softkok on the recruit show would've turned everybody off the Gaelic forever.

While it's true we had great success with Wight and Stynes, the success rate is rather small for the long term.

Apart from T.Keneally and maybe O'Halphin, have any others truly made it to the big stage, and then been any good at it? Mike Pike for a non-irishman???

We were spoiled by two exceptional talents. Yet a LOT of time and money was invested in them. Would a club spend that much time today when they could be spending the effort instead in a low draft pick?

There is a chance with the International rookie position, but with a cap on football department spending now, which club can afford to use its investment with these slim pickings.......apart from those with "cost of living" allowances in the salary cap?

As a final note, I think a better investment is going to be big (tall) US type players to recruit as ruckman. You don't have to teach them too much as we currently have players who can't kick and mark trying to perform that role. But they never get any smaller, if all they have to do is hit the ball to players who can, or just be a big log to stop the opposition rucks.

While it's true we had great success with Wight and Stynes, the success rate is rather small for the long term.

Apart from T.Keneally and maybe O'Halphin, have any others truly made it to the big stage, and then been any good at it? Mike Pike for a non-irishman???

We were spoiled by two exceptional talents. Yet a LOT of time and money was invested in them. Would a club spend that much time today when they could be spending the effort instead in a low draft pick?

There is a chance with the International rookie position, but with a cap on football department spending now, which club can afford to use its investment with these slim pickings.......apart from those with "cost of living" allowances in the salary cap?

As a final note, I think a better investment is going to be big (tall) US type players to recruit as ruckman. You don't have to teach them too much as we currently have players who can't kick and mark trying to perform that role. But they never get any smaller, if all they have to do is hit the ball to players who can, or just be a big log to stop the opposition rucks.

Pearce Hanley???

Over the last 15 years how many have been successful? Probably just 1

Over the last 15 years how many have been successful? Probably just 1

Keneally, O'Halphin, Marty Clarke, Hanley and if you include the non-Irish, Pike.

Keneally, O'Halphin, Marty Clarke, Hanley and if you include the non-Irish, Pike.

So really Keneally and Hanley. Not a great strike rate and I'm happy we are going about our business and getting the basics right.

We have to develop our draft picks first before we can start looking outside the box. The resources need to be spent on what will give us the best bang for the buck and O/S recruits are not it.

Keneally, O'Halphin, Marty Clarke, Hanley and if you include the non-Irish, Pike.

And Zach Tuohy.

I'm all for recruiting international player prospects as they're outside of the list and basically a free-hit. But only if they are the right candidate (attitude/workrate/application/etc) and I think that's the key, identifying a guy who is willing to do everything possible to not only make it but to keep stepping it up when he gets there.

Pearce Hanley is a deadset gun and closing in on becoming one of the best mids in the game, I'll be keeping an eye on how his younger brother Cian turns out.

We may have been ther first, but i reckon most Irish 'experiments' besides Jimy Stynes have been a complete flop (Taigh Kennelly aside).

We may have been ther first, but i reckon most Irish 'experiments' besides Jimy Stynes have been a complete flop (Taigh Kennelly aside).

Anyone capable of 45 possessions at AFL level is very far from being a 'complete flop'.

Pearce Handley & Zac Tuohey would walk into Melbourne's best team.

I would like Pearce Hanley almost as much as I would like Dangerfield.

He is an absolute gun.

Going on recent looks at the Irish.

That softkok on the recruit show would've turned everybody off the Gaelic forever.

You know he got picked up by Geelong right?

He was a bit soft to begin with in terms of his attitude and application to training, but he improved quickly and always had a crack in the games.

Hopefully one day we have the funds again and can spend the money on these speculative pick ups. Jimmy was a Brownlow medalist, who finished his career shortly before Kennelly became a good player then a premiership player who finished up before Pierce Hanley has now become a top class player. So at the moment I'd say the evidence points to about 1 very good player every decade with a handful or so of solid players.

Ciaran Sheehan from Carlton impressed me late in the year, he's one to watch.

And Zach Tuohy.

I'm all for recruiting international player prospects as they're outside of the list and basically a free-hit. But only if they are the right candidate (attitude/workrate/application/etc) and I think that's the key, identifying a guy who is willing to do everything possible to not only make it but to keep stepping it up when he gets there.

Pearce Hanley is a deadset gun and closing in on becoming one of the best mids in the game, I'll be keeping an eye on how his younger brother Cian turns out.

You see, the thing is they're not a free hit. A lot of resources need to go into to developing a player from scratch. We are not in the position to do this at the moment. We need to pick and develop the ones with a head start first.

Money is a significant issue but they are outside the list restrictions.

Every time an Irish player appears on another club's list I feel we have lost an opportunity.

Age breeds assumptions. We had Sean and Jimmy and therefore the Irish were ours.

Well not without the hard work that comes from determination and we lost focus.

Could have made it mostly ours.

Money is a significant issue but they are outside the list restrictions.

Every time an Irish player appears on another club's list I feel we have lost an opportunity.

Age breeds assumptions. We had Sean and Jimmy and therefore the Irish were ours.

Well not without the hard work that comes from determination and we lost focus.

Could have made it mostly ours.

But there's probably what 10 guys in the league now from Ireland trying to find their way?

Brisbane - Hanley bro's

Port - Dan Flynn

Carl - 3 - Touhy, Sheehan, Ciaran Byrne

Geelong - the recruit lad

Ess - 1

West Coast - 1

So if you take away Hanley and Touhy as established players it's mainly 1 guy per club and I think there is a reason behind that. The first is probably cost. You can try one speculative guy but that's about it.

But with increased professionalism in the game I think there's lots of other reasons why 1 club wouldn't be able to own the Irish recruiting model. Firstly, the best kids now know they have currency and therefore can probably ask for 2 year deals on good money. They can then choose from a variety of clubs. So if they have family in Perth or Adelaide they might go there. Whilst being with a countryman might be nice, they probably are also smarter to split up and therefore develop at their own pace instead of in competition with a fellow Irish recruit because for the one who struggled that would be bad news I'm guessing! And it takes away from development opportunities if you are sharing the coaching.

I hope we get an overseas player as it's a wasted opportunity to not have one. But I don't think having one Irish player puts you on track to having more success with them. So if it's an Irish player or Kiwi or American or whatever I don't mind!

How many Aussie kids make it out of those who enter the draft? I think the ratio of failure is close to equal

How many Aussie kids make it out of those who enter the draft? I think the ratio of failure is close to equal

But with far less cost and use of resources.

But with far less cost and use of resources.

There will always be junkets Redleg

There is still a far better strike rate with Irish kids than there is with New Zealanders. How much time and effort did we waste on Maia Westrupp?

There is still a far better strike rate with Irish kids than there is with New Zealanders. How much time and effort did we waste on Maia Westrupp?

Is Maia Westrupp the only New Zealander to cross the ditch? Surely there have been others. (I know Wayne Schwass is part-Maori, but he may have been born and raised in Australia.)

Is Maia Westrupp the only New Zealander to cross the ditch? Surely there have been others. (I know Wayne Schwass is part-Maori, but he may have been born and raised in Australia.)

Born in NZ, moved here at age 10.

Pearce Handley & Zac Tuohey would walk into Melbourne's best team.

Pearce Hanley would , but not Tuohey

kiwis who played afl(old vfl)

Peter Bennett New Zealand Essendon Hawthorn 1976

Adam Campbell New Zealand Fremantle 2006

Trent Croad New Zealand Fremantle Hawthorn 1998

Donald Dickie New Zealand Port Adelaide 1997

Harry Haughton New Zealand Carlton 1912

Karmichael Hunt New Zealand Gold Coast 2011

Warren Jones New Zealand Carlton St Kilda 1978

Daniel McAlister New Zealand Essendon 1997

Marty McDonnell New Zealand Footscray 1939

Thomas O'HalloranNew Zealand Richmond 1925

Daniel Pearce New Zealand Western Bulldogs 2012

Brent Renouf New Zealand Hawthorn 2008

Wayne Schwass New Zealand North Melbourne Sydney 1988

Joe Sellwood New Zealand Geelong 1930

Barney Wood New Zealand Melbourne 1928

There will always be junkets Redleg

It's not just the junkets, it's the extra time and costs when you get them here.