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AFL Combines Now An Annual Thing

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Tractors on the way to blockade Australia as we speak. ;)

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 10/12/2019 12:51:06    2254084

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Replying To KingdomBoy1:  "With our populations in Kerry Mayo Tyrone Donegal we can't afford to lose any of our talented players if we're to catch up and it looks like my own club will have lost 2 top players now with Uosis being courted."
Loosing youth to large urban centers and shores abroad is a much bigger issue to rural counties than the AFL. That said from our point of view Mattie Ruane would be a huge loss to Mayo football if he heads down under.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11230 - 10/12/2019 12:53:54    2254085

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Replying To yew_tree:  "Loosing youth to large urban centers and shores abroad is a much bigger issue to rural counties than the AFL. That said from our point of view Mattie Ruane would be a huge loss to Mayo football if he heads down under."
Massive loss for Mayo if it happens, he come along when the midfield really could do with being fortified, loss to the game in general a player i really like watching play and put his hand up as a marquee midfielder last year. I was surprised to see him at the combine as hes turning 23.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 10/12/2019 13:18:38    2254090

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Replying To KingdomBoy1:  "The GAA can't or won't do anything unless it starts to effect dublin, which for some reason it doesn't seem to happen them.

How many young dubs were at this combine?"
If it does affect Dublin what do the GAA do then?

Kidnap lads who try to get on the planes? Economic sanctions against Australia?

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 10/12/2019 13:24:37    2254093

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Replying To TheUsername:  "Tractors on the way to blockade Australia as we speak. ;)"
Combines, surely.

lionofludesch (Down) - Posts: 475 - 10/12/2019 13:57:10    2254100

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Replying To yew_tree:  "Loosing youth to large urban centers and shores abroad is a much bigger issue to rural counties than the AFL. That said from our point of view Mattie Ruane would be a huge loss to Mayo football if he heads down under."
Yew tree could you imagine if ye kept on to Pearce Hanley ? He could have been the couple of percent ye needed to get over the line in one of yer finals v dublin,

The same with us and Mark O'Connor this year.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 10/12/2019 14:28:28    2254106

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Replying To MesAmis:  "The GAA can't do anything full stop.

There were the same amount of Dubs at this as Kerrymen.

It has affected Dublin in the past and will again in the future.

Out of the the 5 Kerry minor All-Ireland winning panels, that's at least a 100 different players, how many have decided to take an opportunity in Australia?"
We have 2 at the moment Mark O'Connor and Stefan Okunbar, but now it looks like Uosis is going also Colm Moriarty and David Clifford's cousin Paul O'Shea who was also a Kerry minor captain of 1 of our 5 in a row winning teams.

That's probably going to be 5 blue chip players gone out of a team of 15, we can't withstand those kind of losses and hope to topple ye on yer home patch.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 10/12/2019 14:38:09    2254111

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Replying To KingdomBoy1:  "We have 2 at the moment Mark O'Connor and Stefan Okunbar, but now it looks like Uosis is going also Colm Moriarty and David Clifford's cousin Paul O'Shea who was also a Kerry minor captain of 1 of our 5 in a row winning teams.

That's probably going to be 5 blue chip players gone out of a team of 15, we can't withstand those kind of losses and hope to topple ye on yer home patch."
So 2 players out of over a 100 or so players so far?

Even if it ends up being 5, that's still probably less that 5% of the players produced by those minor teams.

You'll lose more to the night life of Cork and Limerick when they're at college being honest.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 10/12/2019 15:22:08    2254114

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Replying To MesAmis:  "So 2 players out of over a 100 or so players so far?

Even if it ends up being 5, that's still probably less that 5% of the players produced by those minor teams.

You'll lose more to the night life of Cork and Limerick when they're at college being honest."
Not of those caliber.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 10/12/2019 16:25:07    2254134

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Replying To KingdomBoy1:  "We have 2 at the moment Mark O'Connor and Stefan Okunbar, but now it looks like Uosis is going also Colm Moriarty and David Clifford's cousin Paul O'Shea who was also a Kerry minor captain of 1 of our 5 in a row winning teams.

That's probably going to be 5 blue chip players gone out of a team of 15, we can't withstand those kind of losses and hope to topple ye on yer home patch."
Still haven't given a single suggestion about how to stop it happening Kingdomboy.

Breezy (Limerick) - Posts: 1236 - 10/12/2019 16:33:18    2254140

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Replying To MesAmis:  "So 2 players out of over a 100 or so players so far?

Even if it ends up being 5, that's still probably less that 5% of the players produced by those minor teams.

You'll lose more to the night life of Cork and Limerick when they're at college being honest."
Looking at it in pure numbers is understating the impact at senior level. The Aussies are only interested in the very elite players.

I'll put it like this to you. Michael Murphy had opportunities to go play in the AFL but he turned them down. If he had gone do you think Donegal would have won that all Ireland in 2012? I very much doubt it. That's the kind of impact losing these blue chip players can have.

Looking at it through the prism of my own team Mark was the best underage midfielder I have ever seen, he was absolutely dominant at every level he played and given how his career is evolving down under I don't think it is a stretch to suggest he'd be a top midfielder had he stayed at home, the kind of player Kerry need to push them over the top. Others counties have lost very promising players as well obviously.

I don't for a second blame the lads, they were presented with an excellent opportunity and they took it and good luck to them. But to say it doesn't matter because there are 99 other players to pick from is a bit disingenuous when they just don't have the same level of ability.

GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2105 - 10/12/2019 17:18:40    2254151

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Replying To KingdomBoy1:  "Yew tree could you imagine if ye kept on to Pearce Hanley ? He could have been the couple of percent ye needed to get over the line in one of yer finals v dublin,

The same with us and Mark O'Connor this year."
Don't start Kingdomboy...we have enough of "what's if's to last a lifetime over the past few years. Makes me sick even thinking about it. Rebuild job on now.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11230 - 10/12/2019 17:38:38    2254155

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If you've dominated at underage for the past number of years as Kerry have there's obviously some very capable players available and if two lads go for a trial it's unlikely to spell disaster.
Kerry's loss to the aussies are likely to have less of an impact than on other counties surely.
Mayo, Donegal and Tyrone to mention but a few would feel the loss a lot more I'd imagine.

Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2312 - 10/12/2019 18:18:44    2254163

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Replying To GeniusGerry:  "Looking at it in pure numbers is understating the impact at senior level. The Aussies are only interested in the very elite players.

I'll put it like this to you. Michael Murphy had opportunities to go play in the AFL but he turned them down. If he had gone do you think Donegal would have won that all Ireland in 2012? I very much doubt it. That's the kind of impact losing these blue chip players can have.

Looking at it through the prism of my own team Mark was the best underage midfielder I have ever seen, he was absolutely dominant at every level he played and given how his career is evolving down under I don't think it is a stretch to suggest he'd be a top midfielder had he stayed at home, the kind of player Kerry need to push them over the top. Others counties have lost very promising players as well obviously.

I don't for a second blame the lads, they were presented with an excellent opportunity and they took it and good luck to them. But to say it doesn't matter because there are 99 other players to pick from is a bit disingenuous when they just don't have the same level of ability."
That's it exactly Gerry, if we had lost Darragh O'Sé Seamus Moynihan Declan O'Sullivan I doubt we'd have had the success we did from 97 - 09

Dublin have 10 times our playing population so they could lose 5 players and still win allirelands .

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 10/12/2019 19:00:22    2254170

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Replying To GeniusGerry:  "Looking at it in pure numbers is understating the impact at senior level. The Aussies are only interested in the very elite players.

I'll put it like this to you. Michael Murphy had opportunities to go play in the AFL but he turned them down. If he had gone do you think Donegal would have won that all Ireland in 2012? I very much doubt it. That's the kind of impact losing these blue chip players can have.

Looking at it through the prism of my own team Mark was the best underage midfielder I have ever seen, he was absolutely dominant at every level he played and given how his career is evolving down under I don't think it is a stretch to suggest he'd be a top midfielder had he stayed at home, the kind of player Kerry need to push them over the top. Others counties have lost very promising players as well obviously.

I don't for a second blame the lads, they were presented with an excellent opportunity and they took it and good luck to them. But to say it doesn't matter because there are 99 other players to pick from is a bit disingenuous when they just don't have the same level of ability."
That's a fair point. Oisín Mullin was the standout player on our U20 team this year and he's still underage in 2020. If we're going to replace the likes of Boyle and Higgins in the next year or 2 it's guys like Mullin that are needed. It would be a hammer blow if he leaves.

MayoDan (Mayo) - Posts: 420 - 10/12/2019 19:01:42    2254171

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Replying To yew_tree:  "Don't start Kingdomboy...we have enough of "what's if's to last a lifetime over the past few years. Makes me sick even thinking about it. Rebuild job on now."
Sorry yew, but you get what I'm saying.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 10/12/2019 19:04:00    2254173

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Replying To Breezy:  "Still haven't given a single suggestion about how to stop it happening Kingdomboy."
Breezy if I knew that then Mark the shark O'Connor would be at home in Dingle and we'd probably have won a couple of county championship by now and Dublin would have been lucky to win a 3 in a row.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 10/12/2019 19:11:29    2254177

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Replying To GeniusGerry:  "Looking at it in pure numbers is understating the impact at senior level. The Aussies are only interested in the very elite players.

I'll put it like this to you. Michael Murphy had opportunities to go play in the AFL but he turned them down. If he had gone do you think Donegal would have won that all Ireland in 2012? I very much doubt it. That's the kind of impact losing these blue chip players can have.

Looking at it through the prism of my own team Mark was the best underage midfielder I have ever seen, he was absolutely dominant at every level he played and given how his career is evolving down under I don't think it is a stretch to suggest he'd be a top midfielder had he stayed at home, the kind of player Kerry need to push them over the top. Others counties have lost very promising players as well obviously.

I don't for a second blame the lads, they were presented with an excellent opportunity and they took it and good luck to them. But to say it doesn't matter because there are 99 other players to pick from is a bit disingenuous when they just don't have the same level of ability."
But Murphy didn't go. I think that's a pertinent point. Most lads won't go.

Like I said earlier in the thread, firstly the player has to be the right type of player, secondly he has to be good enough to adapt to a new game and thirdly he has to actually want to go.

Add on to that they he actually has to make it when he gets there, the sizeable amount just come away home again.

It's a mountain out of molehill imo.

In comparison to much more difficult challengea facing clubs.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 10/12/2019 19:58:39    2254185

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Replying To MesAmis:  "But Murphy didn't go. I think that's a pertinent point. Most lads won't go.

Like I said earlier in the thread, firstly the player has to be the right type of player, secondly he has to be good enough to adapt to a new game and thirdly he has to actually want to go.

Add on to that they he actually has to make it when he gets there, the sizeable amount just come away home again.

It's a mountain out of molehill imo.

In comparison to much more difficult challengea facing clubs."
Have dublin got the kind of players that the Aussies are after Mes?

McCarthy mccaffery o'callaghan Fenton mannion how did these guys escape their clutches , how did yer county board fend off the men from Oz ?

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 10/12/2019 20:45:35    2254195

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Replying To MesAmis:  "But Murphy didn't go. I think that's a pertinent point. Most lads won't go.

Like I said earlier in the thread, firstly the player has to be the right type of player, secondly he has to be good enough to adapt to a new game and thirdly he has to actually want to go.

Add on to that they he actually has to make it when he gets there, the sizeable amount just come away home again.

It's a mountain out of molehill imo.

In comparison to much more difficult challengea facing clubs."
You are looking at it from purely a numbers point of view and that is fair enough. Yes it will only be a handful that will go each year, and yes they are looking for a particular type of player, elite athletes with strong ball winning ability etc (coincidentally the type of player that thrives in modern football).

I would argue that the guys that are going like Nash, McKenna and O'Connor would have had a very good chance to be stars of the game, the future Cavanaghs and O'Se's if you like. If you think losing that kind of talent from the game is not an issue then that is your right. The point I was trying to make about Murphy is that just one player of that caliber can make an enormous difference to a team and be the difference between success and failure.

To be honest I doubt there is anything that can be done in any case and it's a great opportunity for these lads.

@Dubh_Linn I'd agree Kerry are in a much better position than most to absorb the loss of players. I'm not trying to make it about Kerry, it's something that is impacting everyone

GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2105 - 10/12/2019 21:40:45    2254209

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