Dees Eye Irish Hopefuls

[dazzledavey36 52,873]

According to AFL.com.au

TWO Irish AFL hopefuls will trial at clubs next week in bids to win spots as Category B rookies.

Derry star Eoin McEvoy and Irish under-20 rugby talent Davy Colbert will arrive in Australia this week ahead of a period where they will push to get on an AFL list.

The pair are being brought out by the AFL having tested well in training sessions in Ireland, with Colbert, 20, having played for Ireland in the under-20 rugby World Cup in South Africa while also featuring in the Gaelic competition. 

McEvoy, 21, is considered an emerging star of the Gaelic competition.

The duo will train alongside the under-17s Futures squad later this week and attend the Grand Final on Saturday before trialling at a number of clubs next week – including Essendon, Melbourne and Geelong – before meeting more clubs at the Telstra AFL Draft Combine the following week where they will take part in testing.

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 10,640]

Ireland should be part of our NGA through the Stynes connection and give us priority access.

Edited yesterday at 09:32 by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

[rjay 24,615]

52 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Melbourne

...about time 'dazz', got to be happy that at least we're in the game now.

[dazzledavey36 52,873]

54 minutes ago, rjay said:

...about time 'dazz', got to be happy that at least we're in the game now.

I've been always baffled why we we've neglected the Irish pathway considering we are the very first clubs to ever pioneer this in the 80s.

I'd take this route every single day over useless ex basketballers turned football wannabes which is pathway we've failed in the last few years.

[The Jackson FIX 2,704]

11 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I've been always baffled why we we've neglected the Irish pathway considering we are the very first clubs to ever pioneer this in the 80s.

Was thinking the very same thing… there have been some great Irish players in the last 15 years and we’re nowhere near them… feel like we could’ve leveraged Jim’s legacy for competitive advantage in appealing to the best ones too.

[DubDee 24,419]

About time we got some Irish back in the squad!!

[layzie 32,928]

It's about time! 

[YesitwasaWin4theAges 6,582]

2 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Ireland should be part of our NGA through the Stynes connection and give us priority access.

We dropped the ball massively in this space with the Irish lads.

We should have set up a Demon exclusive academy luring all the top talent Irishmen through the Stynes connections.

Another pioneering feat by the Dees and all and sundry are in on the act reaping the benefits.

 

Edited yesterday at 11:50 by YesitwasaWin4theAges

[rjay 24,615]

2 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I've been always baffled why we we've neglected the Irish pathway considering we are the very first clubs to ever pioneer this in the 80s.

I'd take this route every single day over useless ex basketballers turned football wannabes which is pathway we've failed in the last few years.

Yep, I know we've discussed this before. We have certainly dropped the ball on this for a long time now. I hope we are ready to embrace it again. The women's team have really benefited from Goldie & Blaithin..

Edited yesterday at 13:04 by rjay

[kryton101 393]

Geeze they must get crankdogs every time they loose a talent to AFL, but good on us!!!

 

[layzie 32,928]

Who was the last Irish player we had? Nick Walsh?

[demoniac 1,296]

Perplexing as to why AFLM program has ignored Ireland for so long.

[dazzledavey36 52,873]

 

[DeeSpencer 24,777]

Honesty I don’t mind that we weren’t in on it until recently. Rucks are a valid use of the Cat B list, as is NGA players and the best use is probably guys like Wil Parker and James O’Donnell who were footballers growing up and then went to other sports.

Tuohy, Hanley and at a stretch McKenna have been the only Irish difference makers since Tadgh Kennelly.

3 or 4 since 2000, whilst the go home and bust factor have both been high.

That said, Irish immigration is through the roof which is mitigating the go home factor, the Irish are dominating the AFLW and the game has shifted from a focus on the ball constantly being in tight to more run and space.

That shift demands more athletes who excel in that kind of running and are confident playing out in space.

Geelong will have the advantage of an established program but I hope we can nab one of these guys if they impress.

[Diamond_Jim 12,359]

I have often wondered if Irish recruitment costs are inside or outside the soft cap. If not it's a decent opportunity for the wealthier clubs.

Sounds like these guys will just be in the normal draft so there is no real advantage to any one club in developing a pathway.

Not even sure I like the idea of raiding the Irish Gaelic comp.

European soccer has effectively killed off Africans and South Americans seeing their stars play locally with the local leagues being a shadow of what they once were

[whatwhat say what 22,185]

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

Tuohy, Hanley and at a stretch McKenna have been the only Irish difference makers since Tadgh Kennelly.

oisin mullin, mark keane, callum brown, mark o'connor, connor nash all been terrific pick-ups in the last few years

i personally wouldn't be surprised if the success of irish women coming into aflw sees more men exploring their opportunities to come into aflm

[godees 817]

28 minutes ago, whatwhat say what said:

oisin mullin, mark keane, callum brown, mark o'connor, connor nash all been terrific pick-ups in the last few years

i personally wouldn't be surprised if the success of irish women coming into aflw sees more men exploring their opportunities to come into aflm

Bunch of role players, with speed.

We could use some role players with speed.

[DeeSpencer 24,777]

1 hour ago, whatwhat say what said:

oisin mullin, mark keane, callum brown, mark o'connor, connor nash all been terrific pick-ups in the last few years

i personally wouldn't be surprised if the success of irish women coming into aflw sees more men exploring their opportunities to come into aflm

Mullin’s promising. Brown’s in the 2’s. O’Connor seems to have peaked. Nash took 6 years to becomes a decent defensive mid but has a battle to hold his spot.

Keane has the most promise but walked out on the Pies, wait and see if he hits consistently now he’s signed up for the Crows for a while.

They’re all good enough to suggest what was still an experiment from the 00’s and 10’s is now looking a more worthy project. But there’s no stars (yet).