Jump to content

Featured Replies

Then encountered the hurling team in Amsterdam across the way from where I played padel (google it for those not in the know, seriously) and the local AFL team trained, but wasn't keen for broken fingers while I had a livelihood as a writer. 

 
12 minutes ago, Skuit said:

Slightly off topic, but I fondly recall landing in Dublin in 2003 en route to Wexford amid a serious hurling final, where a bloke by the name of Carey dominated. Fell in love with the game on the spot - and brought some hurls (the Wexford term) and a slither home - believing that hurling was somehow more closely related to AFL than Gaelic footy . . .

Would have been DJ Carey from Kilkenny, I would guess

1 hour ago, Pennant St Dee said:

Would have been DJ Carey from Kilkenny, I would guess

Indeed. As far as I know one of the greatest to play the sport, mirroring W, Carey in the AFL. 

 

If I was an AFL recruiter I would be looking to hurling as well as Gaelic football. There's something about the sport which translates in my mind. A variety of skills, fearlessness, 360 vision, running power, and catching. I tried joining a hurling team in Australia, but outside of a brief stint in Bondi there wasn't much on offer. 

Edited by Skuit


7 hours ago, Skuit said:

If I was an AFL recruiter I would be looking to hurling as well as Gaelic football. There's something about the sport which translates in my mind. A variety of skills, fearlessness, 360 vision, running power, and catching. I tried joining a hurling team in Australia, but outside of a brief stint in Bondi there wasn't much on offer. 

Setanta O h'Ailpin was an inter-county hurler with Cork. Very good hurler he won all ireland titles at underage. Can't recall if he won a senior medal. I don't think any other Irish recruit to the AFL was a hurler

A lot of hurling clubs sprung up in australia around 2008 with the exodus of Irish as a result of the recession. There are 5 hurling clubs in Melbourne now. The Galeic football standard was very good here at the time (a lot of excellent gaelic footballers came over) but hurling not so much. The Gaelic AustralAsian games were held here in Melbourne 2 years ago. Witnessed a game between WA and Victoria which was of a similar standard to senior club games back home. It was an excellent game. 

Club details are in the below link. There might be a team close to you that you can get along to watch

https://www.australasiangaelicgames.com/our-clubs/

15 hours ago, Skuit said:

Are you from Ireland @Pennant St Dee? 

I am originally, immigrated with my parents in 1980 when I was 8. I also lived there for a period in the 90s

7 hours ago, BDA said:

Setanta O h'Ailpin was an inter-county hurler with Cork. Very good hurler he won all ireland titles at underage. Can't recall if he won a senior medal. I don't think any other Irish recruit to the AFL was a hurler

A lot of hurling clubs sprung up in australia around 2008 with the exodus of Irish as a result of the recession. There are 5 hurling clubs in Melbourne now. The Galeic football standard was very good here at the time (a lot of excellent gaelic footballers came over) but hurling not so much. The Gaelic AustralAsian games were held here in Melbourne 2 years ago. Witnessed a game between WA and Victoria which was of a similar standard to senior club games back home. It was an excellent game. 

Club details are in the below link. There might be a team close to you that you can get along to watch

https://www.australasiangaelicgames.com/our-clubs/

In most counties (except Kilkenny where it’s Hurling only) you would alternate between Football and Hurling each week 

 
3 hours ago, Pennant St Dee said:

In most counties (except Kilkenny where it’s Hurling only) you would alternate between Football and Hurling each week 

True. Most club players would play both. And soccer in the winter.

No more dual players at inter-county level anymore though. Too much of a time commitment plus management teams want them to commit to one or the other.

Just caught up with the game against Donegal - disconcerting seeing the opposition in the green and gold after binging so much Olympics!

Another solid win for Dublin. Magee with the body on the line as always. In fact, all round one of the most physical games I've seen, plus a lot of 'chat' between the players. Thought this was one of the best games by McEvoy I've seen, or at least the most obviously influential. She really brings others along with her and sets things up well. Plus a classy finisher. I also like the way Rowe plays - wouldn't mind seeing her weaving through traffic with the Sherrin.

I'm sure the team would have liked to do it a bit more comfortably but after a slow start they had fairly good control and kept the scoreboard ticking over well. I do like how the relatively small margin between a point and a goal means a consistent string of points is a valid way to build a score and a goal doesn't end it all. Or maybe I'm just frustrated from watching too much of the other round ball of late!

Interesting post-match interviews with the coaches, with their comments about the lack of continuity in the game due to so many whistles for contact stuff. Seems like there's a desire for the whistle to be put away somewhat for a more free-flowing game. Although the Donegal coach also wanted more fouls called in his players' favour, so he kind of contradicted himself. In my biased and inexpert opinion, I felt the Dublin players walked the line well enough!

  • 2 weeks later...

Good to see our Dublin trio reunited for a semi-final win! Goldie in her natural game was great to witness (a bit rusty perhaps but definitely that same dynamic movement we see in Aussie rules). Lots of AFLW representation in this game, with the Kelly sisters from the Eagles and Rowe from the Pies for Mayo as well.

Another composed performance from Dublin. Some classy precision kicking going forward and for goal saw them again build up a nice lead to then control the game. Mayo seemed put off by Dublin's physicality and got too caught up in that rather than playing their own game, in my humble opinion! A bit of carnage all round. McEvoy looked proppy at the end and Magee with that blood rule, though of course that couldn't keep her from returning late in the game.

Onwards to the final in a couple of weeks. Following this has been a nice lockdown distraction!

  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/1027279/dee-s-day-lauren-magee?videoId=1027279&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1635114842001

I assume both Goldie and Lauren are double vaccinated and yet they still have to put up with this despite there being 1000+ cases a day.  Go figure.

Hang in there ladies and welcome back!  And thanks for going through all this, I feel for you.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

Featured Content

  • PREVIEW: Essendon

    As the focus of the AFL moves exclusively to South Australia for Gather Round, the question is raised as to what are we going to get from the  Melbourne Football Club this weekend? Will it be a repeat of the slop fest of the last three weeks that have seen the team score a measly 174 points and concede 310 or will a return to the City of Churches and the scene where they performed at their best in 2024 act as a wakeup call and bring them out of their early season reverie?  Or will the sleepy Dees treat their fans to a reenactment of their lazy effort from the first Gather Round of two years ago when they allowed the Bombers to trample all over them on a soggy and wet Adelaide Oval? The two examples from above tell us how fickle form can be in football. Last year, a committed group of players turned up in Adelaide with a businesslike mindset. They had a plan, went in confidently and hard for the football and kicked winning scores against both home teams in a difficult environment for visitors. And they repeated that sort of effort later in the season when they played Essendon at the MCG.

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland
  • PREGAME: Essendon

    Facing the very real and daunting prospect of starting the season with five straight losses, the Demons head to South Australia for the annual Gather Round, where they’ll take on the Bombers in search of their first win of the year. Who comes in, and who comes out?

      • Thanks
    • 416 replies
    Demonland
  • NON-MFC: Round 05

    Gather Round is here, kicking off with a Thursday night blockbuster as Adelaide faces Geelong. The Crows will be out for redemption after a controversial loss last week. Saturday starts with the Magpies taking on the Swans. Collingwood will be eager to cement their spot in the top eight, while Sydney is hot on their heels. In the Barossa Valley, two rising sides go head-to-head in a fascinating battle to prove they're the real deal. Later, Carlton and West Coast face off at Adelaide Oval, both desperate to notch their first win of the season. The action then shifts to Norwood, where the undefeated Lions will aim to keep their streak alive against the Bulldogs. Sunday’s games begin in the Barossa with Richmond up against Fremantle. In Norwood, the Saints will be looking to take a scalp when they come up against the Giants. The round concludes with a fiery rematch of last year's semi-final, as the Hawks seek revenge for their narrow loss to Port Adelaide. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons besides us winning?

      • Thanks
    • 110 replies
    Demonland
  • CASEY: Geelong

    There was a time in the second quarter of the game at the Cattery on Friday afternoon when the Casey Demons threatened to take the game apart against the Cats. The Demons had been well on top early but were struggling to convert their ascendancy over the ground until Tom Fullarton’s burst of three goals in the space of eight minutes on the way to a five goal haul and his best game for the club since arriving from Brisbane at the end of 2023. He was leading, marking and otherwise giving his opponents a merry dance as Casey grabbed a three goal lead in the blink of an eye. Fullarton has now kicked ten goals in Casey’s three matches and, with Melbourne’s forward conversion woes, he is definitely in with a chance to get his first game with the club in next week’s Gather Round in Adelaide. Despite the tall forward’s efforts - he finished with 19 disposals and eight marks and had four hit outs as back up to Will Verrall in the second half - it wasn’t enough as Geelong reigned in the lead through persistent attacks and eventually clawed their way to the lead early in the last and held it till they achieved the end aim of victory.

      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland
  • REPORT: Geelong

    I was disappointed to hear Goody say at his post match presser after the team’s 39 point defeat against Geelong that "we're getting high quality entry, just poor execution" because Melbourne’s problems extend far beyond that after its 0 - 4 start to the 2025 football season. There are clearly problems with poor execution, some of which were evident well before the current season and were in play when the Demons met the Cats in early May last year and beat them in a near top-of-the-table clash that saw both sides sitting comfortably in the top four after round eight. Since that game, the Demons’ performances have been positively Third World with only five wins in 19 games with a no longer majestic midfield and a dysfunctional forward line that has become too easy for opposing coaches to counter. This is an area of their game that is currently being played out as if they were all completely panic-stricken.

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland
  • NON-MFC: Round 04

    Round 4 kicks off with a blockbuster on Thursday night as traditional rivals Collingwood and Carlton clash at the MCG, with the Magpies looking to assert themselves as early-season contenders and the Blues seeking their first win of the season. Saturday opens with Gold Coast hosting Adelaide, a key test for the Suns as they aim to back up their big win last week, while the Crows will be looking to keep their perfect record intact. Reigning wooden spooners Richmond have the daunting task of facing reigning premiers Brisbane at the ‘G and the Lions will be eager to reaffirm their premiership credentials after a patchy start. Saturday night sees North Melbourne take on Sydney at Marvel Stadium, with the Swans looking to build on their first win of the season last week against a rebuilding Roos outfit. Sunday’s action begins with GWS hosting West Coast at ENGIE Stadium, a game that could get ugly very early for the visitors. Port Adelaide vs St Kilda at Adelaide Oval looms as a interesting clash, with both clubs form being very hard to read. The round wraps up with Fremantle taking on the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium in what could be a fierce contest between two sides with top-eight ambitions. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons besides us winning?

      • Thanks
    • 273 replies
    Demonland