Dublin manager Pat Gilroy believes the influx of rural players to the capital must be addressed - but his proposed solution will offer little solace to clubs outside Dublin.

Laois club football has been particularly badly hit, with half a dozen of the county's top players, including Irish International Rules star Colm Begley and key forward MJ Tierney, currently playing in Dublin.

A seventh, John O'Loughlin, is expected to join Blanchardstown outfit St Brigid's in the not too distance future although his hopes of concluding the move immediately look unlikely given that he is still a student of UCD and relocation for purposes of study debar an inter-county club transfer from taking place.

There are other high-profile club "outsiders" in the capital, with Adrian Morrissey and Brian Flanagan of Wexford and Offaly respectively helping Kilmacud Crokes to the Dublin and Leinster titles, Louth's Darren Clarke is currently turning out for St Sylvester's and four of Armagh's 2002 All-Ireland winning panel, Kieran McGeeney, Des Mackin and Justin and Enda McNulty all representing Na Fianna during their playing days.

Neither is the issue restricted to football, with current Dublin hurling panellists Ryan O'Dwyer and Maurice O'Brien hailing from Tipperary and Limerick respectively.

Laois GAA officials are reputedly considering imposing a block on inter-county transfers to bring a alt to the drain of talent.

In a proposal which is likely to cause more ire outside Dublin, football manager Gilroy believes restrictions could be implemented in order to prevent individual clubs benefiting to a disproportionate degree.

Gilroy said: "Whether it's some form of a draft system or a cap on the number of fellas who play on a senior team that didn't play juvenile in Dublin, it probably would be better that if fellas are coming [to Dublin] maybe they shouldn't have a direct choice on where they go.

"Smaller clubs could get first choice on them. That would make it fairer. It's not necessarily healthy if it's just big clubs getting top players all the time, so maybe that's something that could be looked at. I think a kind of a draft system would be much better." Tweet

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