Kerry star reveals frustration with AFL clubs 'poaching' players

November 09, 2016

Kerry's Killian Young with Kevin McManamon of Dublin.
©INPHO/Donall Farmer.

Four-time All-Ireland winner Killian Young has aired his frustration with the targeting of Kerry's best young players by Aussie Rules clubs.

The Kingdom have already lost their 2015 All-Ireland minor winning captain Mark O'Connor to AFL side Geelong, with a number of scouts from Down Under thought to be monitoring current minor star David Clifford.

Young describes it as "a frustration" for him and says that the Munster giants must hold on to their rising stars to ensure success down the line.  

"What worries me in one sense is that we're after winning a three-in-a-row in the minors, developing top-quality players who are coming through, and the fear I have is that they (AFL clubs) are all looking at our players," Young told Radio Kerry's Terrace Talk.

"What's the point of us developing top-class players in this county if they're all going to go away to Australia on professional contracts?

"So, we really have to find a way to protect our players for Kerry's future, for us to be winning All-Irelands, (otherwise) there's no point in us bringing through players in these top-class programmes at youth level. It's a frustration for me.

"It's just one that we'd be looking to keep Tadhg Kennelly away from us at the moment, because he seems to be poaching our players and, for our future in County Kerry, we need to hold onto them."


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