GAA 2017

Buchan said:
You guys are doing a great job at convincing young Gaelic footballers to try their hands at Australian football. Professional contracts, a chance at a new, exciting sport, great climate etc. - what's not there to appeal? There's quite a few Irish over there now. Tadhg Kennelly is receiving fierce criticism on these shores, however. Many feel he's poaching talent, talent which local GAA clubs and intercounty development schemes have spent innumerous hours honing, at an age when all the hard work is already done with them.

David Clifford, from Co. Kerry and the next Gaelic football star in waiting, hails from the same county as Kennelly and many expect he'll be next the join the AFL exodus. If that happens, expect there to be a huge outcry in Kerry and a lot of scope to be put on AFL recruiters.
Click to expand...

Firstly I have to say that the players making the move across all seem to be very skilled users of the ball. Kennelly (Sydney), Stines (Melbourne), Clarke (Collingwood), Hanley (Brisbane/Gold Coast), McKenna (Essendon) are and were all excellent kicks.

Would the GAA ever become a full-time professional sport?
 
cesc's_mullet said:
AFL is the best paying, best attended (4th highest average across all sports and leagues on the planet) and most watched sport in Australia. It is also the most exciting, but that's an aside.

Granted both NSW and OLD are Rugby states, but both have two sides each.
Click to expand...

NSW have two sides, but no interest. Granted interest kicked up a small bit when the Swans started doing well, th Aussies do love a good bandwagon after all, but in general terms Sydney's population had very little interest.

I've been to a few Swans games, it seems to be used as an excuse to meet up for a few beers, almost like cricket - didn't seem to be too many paying attention. Very weird atmosphere.

It is 100% not the experience the Irish lads are being sold anyway, I have zero doubt about that.
 
cesc's_mullet said:
Firstly I have to say that the players making the move across all seem to be very skilled users of the ball. Kennelly (Sydney), Stines (Melbourne), Clarke (Collingwood), Hanley (Brisbane/Gold Coast), McKenna (Essendon) are and were all excellent kicks.

Would the GAA ever become a full-time professional sport?
Click to expand...

No.

It's simply just not possible.
 
Buchan said:
You guys are doing a great job at convincing young Gaelic footballers to try their hands at Australian football. Professional contracts, a chance at a new, exciting sport, great climate etc. - what's not there to appeal? There's quite a few Irish over there now. Tadhg Kennelly is receiving fierce criticism on these shores, however. Many feel he's poaching talent, talent which local GAA clubs and intercounty development schemes have spent innumerous hours honing, at an age when all the hard work is already done with them.

David Clifford, from Co. Kerry and the next Gaelic football star in waiting, hails from the same county as Kennelly and many expect he'll be next the join the AFL exodus. If that happens, expect there to be a huge outcry in Kerry and a lot of scope to be put on AFL recruiters.
Click to expand...
That lad is going to be something special. His honours list is ridiculous already.
 
Gee Male said:
NSW have two sides, but no interest. Granted interest kicked up a small bit when the Swans started doing well, th Aussies do love a good bandwagon after all, but in general terms Sydney's population had very little interest.

I've been to a few Swans games, it seems to be used as an excuse to meet up for a few beers, almost like cricket - didn't seem to be too many paying attention. Very weird atmosphere.

It is 100% not the experience the Irish lads are being sold anyway, I have zero doubt about that.
Click to expand...

I think the experience you speak of would be in Melbourne/Geelong, Adelaide and Perth.
 
Eire Red United said:
That lad is going to be something special. His honours list is ridiculous already.
Click to expand...

I watched him in the All-Ireland Schools Final for the 'Sem in 2016 and he won the game for them on his own. He scored something like 2-05 and an absolute peach of a goal to settle it late on. Incidentally, Conor Glass (in his last Gaelic football match before heading to Australia) played for the opposition that day, St. Pat's.

Clifford was a tour de force for Kerry u21s this year too v Cork in the Munster Championship (as a 19-year-old straight out of minor) scoring 2-08 overall. He really is a superstar in waiting.
 
cesc's_mullet said:
Would the GAA ever become a full-time professional sport?
Click to expand...

I don't see it becoming a professional sport in name, but the commitment needed now to playing at the highest level isn't far off professional standard. There are counties out there who deliver prepared meals to players in their places of work, sponsored energy drinks/water so their hydration levels are constantly good (they monitor hydration levels at training), players train with the county teams only and forbidden to train with their clubs, nights off training are generally spent in the gym or in a recovery pool, week-long training camps abroad... there's certainly an element of the intercounty game which is heading down to the professional route but it'll never be fully professional. The money just isn't there to pay 30 squad members a salary in each county (32 counties + others like New York, London etc. which take part in All-Ireland championships also). Add in the fact the the GAA consists of both hurling and football and every county competes in both codes (as well as handball), you simply don't have the resources to pay all these guys a salary and the back room teams, too. It's just not feasible.

Another point re: professionalism: it would open the door to transfers similar to what we have in soccer and that would be awful for the GAA. The bedrock of our games is the tribalism, if you will, of the sports and how your county is generally your county, there's no 'choosing' teams to follow: Galway, for example (The Black Pearl's home county), are backward mucksavages from the West who hate everyone, but particularly Tipperary, and we Tipperary folk hate them back. :D
 
It would be the death of not alone the sport but practically every single parish and community in Ireland.

There isn't a hope in hell that it would be let
happen.

I and hundreds of thousands right across the country would murder those that even dared suggest it in a serious capacity.
 
And to that yoke from Tipp rambling away to himself there, Galway do not hate everybody, just ye tramps. We're probably the most universally well liked county in the hurling and football in the country too. Nice people, lovely county and renowned for playing both codes in an exciting way. Or in short the way it's supposed to be played.
 
Last edited:
Oh boys what a feeling what a night what a performance. We really really dug deep and the lads who came on from the bench made a huge impact. Roll on the Dubs or Tyrone, we're in bonus territory and will have absolutely no pressure as everyone will expect us to be tanked.
 
Eire Red United said:
Oh boys what a feeling what a night what a performance. We really really dug deep and the lads who came on from the bench made a huge impact. Roll on the Dubs or Tyrone, we're in bonus territory and will have absolutely no pressure as everyone will expect us to be tanked.
Click to expand...

Monaghan?

Im sick to death of how my county is being run
 
Ramshock said:
Yep. Our selectors and board are cuntd
Click to expand...
Really? Why do you say that? I know there was a lot of talk of trouble in the Down camp early in the year, but the team did well to retain division two status and are bound to be happy with reaching an Ulster final?

Anyway, didn't see the first half of the Down match due to traffic, any idea why Johnstone (forget which one) wasn't starting? Was it an injury or is that one of the issues you have with your selectors?
 
Eire Red United said:
Really? Why do you say that? I know there was a lot of talk of trouble in the Down camp early in the year, but the team did well to retain division two status and are bound to be happy with reaching an Ulster final?

Anyway, didn't see the first half of the Down match due to traffic, any idea why Johnstone (forget which one) wasn't starting? Was it an injury or is that one of the issues you have with your selectors?
Click to expand...

Its more committee than selectors these days. The way managers have been treated especially McGrath and Jim McCorry havent gone down well and theres the usual South Down bias means a lot of East Down talent goes to waste. Dunno about Armagh but theres always been a schism in the Down set up
 
Buchan said:
I don't see it becoming a professional sport in name, but the commitment needed now to playing at the highest level isn't far off professional standard. There are counties out there who deliver prepared meals to players in their places of work, sponsored energy drinks/water so their hydration levels are constantly good (they monitor hydration levels at training), players train with the county teams only and forbidden to train with their clubs, nights off training are generally spent in the gym or in a recovery pool, week-long training camps abroad... there's certainly an element of the intercounty game which is heading down to the professional route but it'll never be fully professional. The money just isn't there to pay 30 squad members a salary in each county (32 counties + others like New York, London etc. which take part in All-Ireland championships also). Add in the fact the the GAA consists of both hurling and football and every county competes in both codes (as well as handball), you simply don't have the resources to pay all these guys a salary and the back room teams, too. It's just not feasible.

Another point re: professionalism: it would open the door to transfers similar to what we have in soccer and that would be awful for the GAA. The bedrock of our games is the tribalism, if you will, of the sports and how your county is generally your county, there's no 'choosing' teams to follow: Galway, for example (The Black Pearl's home county), are backward mucksavages from the West who hate everyone, but particularly Tipperary, and we Tipperary folk hate them back. :D
Click to expand...

Very interesting indeed
 
Hard to see Galway beat Kerry today, they'd probably need at the very least to put in another performanance like that of v Donegal to have a chance if nicking it. Galway don't really do the two brilliant performances in a row thing.

Mayo will have the whole experience of Croker thing and should beat Roscommon. At least the Rossies will get a day out in the Big Smoke for themselves anyways. Poor creatures.
 
Predicting Mayo to huff and puff and struggle to beat Roscommon, but again should do enough to get through. Kerry and Galway is going to be a cracker I think, although Galways are going to seriously need to tighten up at the back or Kerrys inside forwards will destroy them.

Looking forward to the draw later, absolute bonus territory now. I'd give us a slim chance of beating Tyrone but I'd love a go at them Dublin huers and can't wait to take over the hill next week.
 
cesc's_mullet said:
Firstly I have to say that the players making the move across all seem to be very skilled users of the ball. Kennelly (Sydney), Stines (Melbourne), Clarke (Collingwood), Hanley (Brisbane/Gold Coast), McKenna (Essendon) are and were all excellent kicks.

Would the GAA ever become a full-time professional sport?
Click to expand...
Never gonna happen. Most of the reasons have been listed already.
 
Kerry forwards are more dominant in the air than prime John Terry
Saying that, should the Kerry yellow have been a black/red?
 
T_Model101 said:
Kerry forwards are more dominant in the air than prime John Terry
Saying that, should the Kerry yellow have been a black/red?
Click to expand...
Very little in it I thought. He went to tackle the man fairly, ball was moved and the momentum carried him through and he protected himself. Surprised the ref didn't give a black though tbh.
 
Galway would be as well off now to just go for it full blast. Run like hoors at that Kerry defence for the 2nd half cause that Kerry defence didn't look that all that tight either when Galway decided to go at them there a few times.
 
The Black Pearl said:
Galway would be as well off now to just go for it full blast. Run like hoors at that Kerry defence for the 2nd half cause that Kerry defence didn't look that all that tight either when Galway decided to go at them there a few times.
Click to expand...
If Comer could finish he'd be some player.
 
lem8sh said:
Galway could get two goals and Kerry would just up it again. Gulf in quality from Dublin and Kerry back to the rest is huge.
Click to expand...
I'll tell you what, if Kerry meet Dublin they'll need to tighten up at the back or the Dubs will destroy them.
 
The Black Pearl said:
Dublin forwards would maul that Kerry defence. They've looked dodgy in a few games this year now.
Click to expand...

Eire Red United said:
I'll tell you what, if Kerry meet Dublin they'll need to tighten up at the back or the Dubs will destroy them.
Click to expand...
Agreed, pretty sure Fitzmaurice has had a plan up his sleeve with a while though and the last two games against Dublin albeit in the league went fine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.