FORMER DOWN FOOTBALLER Marty Clarke has been recruited in a part-time role by the AFL to mentor young Gaelic footballers that have been identified as Aussie Rules prospects.
The announcement of the new role comes as the AFL have also announced plans to prioritise Ireland in their search for international talent with their draft combine in the USA put on hold for 2018.
Instead of heading to the States, the AFL plans to increase the focus on Ireland with more scouting and development programmes.
Clarke has been involved in recent Irish Combines in Dublin, including last December’s event at UCD.
Following on from that he travelled with four young Gaelic footballers – Dublin duo Peadar Ó Cofaigh-Byrne (Cuala) and James Madden (Ballyboden St-Enda’s), Derry’s Anton Tohill (Swatragh) and Cork’s Mark Keane (Mitchelstown) – to Florida in January for the AFL Academy camp.
“The position will be an expansion of my role here of developing players who have been identified as potential AFL players,” Clarke told the official AFL website.
“It will be up to me to meet the boys, maintain a relationship with them, conduct a couple of training sessions and watch game footage with them.”
Clarke, who played 73 games for Collingwood during his two spells with the club from 2007-09 and 2012-14, was part of the Down side that contested the 2010 All-Ireland senior final and won an All-Star that year for his performances.
The An Riocht club man has defended the AFL’s recruitment of GAA players amidst hostility from some quarters.
“The statistics are there that the boys that go out to Australia are only a tiny percentage of registered GAA players, and in the last 30 years, there’s only been 50 prospects come over.
“The vast majority of those boys have come back within three years and are bigger and better players for their clubs and counties.
“And AFL clubs know it’s very high risk to take on an Irish boy, but the chance of getting a Zach Tuohy, Tadhg Kennelly, Jim Stynes and Pearce Hanley is a great temptation.”
The quartet that journeyed to Florida in January will continue to be monitored. Ó Cofaigh-Byrne and Madden both won Leinster minor football medals with Dublin last summer, Keane was a key player at midfield for the Cork minor side while Tohill is a son of former Derry great Anthony.
“I’ll be catching up with them to take eight to 10 group sessions, but they’ll keeping an eye on the AFL season and keeping themselves up to date with the everything that’s happening,” Clarke said.
“They’ll also be keen to see how the Irish boys are going.
“They had a great experience in America and are keen to get picked up by a club, so hopefully they get drafted in November.”
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Should have won the All ireland last season. More than likely will this season all things being equal.
@Ray Ridge: St Thomas showed the way to beat them. Nullify Philip Mahony in the game and you beat ballygunner. Seemingly their backline is getting on in age, and appears they haven’t really blooded any new backs onto their team over the last five years. Could be found wanting come Munster championship if they beat Abbeyside next week
@v5OTKkXN: The frees won it for Thomas’s. Of which several were of the soft nature. Granted, munster will be hard won. Some very good teams in it. Na piarsaigh to name just one.
@Ray Ridge: a score is a score whether from a placed ball or from play. Frees are winning most matches these days. Whoever comes out of Limerick will have a big say this year. Those extra few weeks for the county stars to be back with clubs will make a big difference
@v5OTKkXN: Thomas took a heavy beating in Galway championship tonight. Only second round of group games however.
@Ray Ridge: maybe I’ll be proved wrong but I don’t see them do two all irelands in a row. Ballyhale will be chomping at the bit in kk and Leinster this year
@v5OTKkXN: Thomas won’t be winning back to back all Irelands Jed. That’s a cert.
@Ray Ridge: who do ya think will reign in Galway this year?
@Ray Ridge: Ah tweedle dom and dee
@v5OTKkXN: I fancied Clarenbridge the last couple of seasons, but they didn’t deliver, but maybe with Donoghue back with them, they might do it this year. Loughrea, Turloughmore and of course Thomas’s are the obvious contenders.
@Ray Ridge: could you ever see the Galway champs go into Leinster club championship like the county team
@Square: talk about dumb and dumber.
@v5OTKkXN: There’s certainly an argument for it for. Would probably need to do the same with Antrim and Derry champions.
@Ray Ridge: I’d say as long as it remains a knockout championship both Galway champs and ulster teams would prefer it to remain the same, but if it became a round robin that might entice them to think differently
@Cian O: oh yes
@Square: goone full circle deep in there with CianO young man.
@v5OTKkXN: i like my liverpool fans
@Square: what about the small ball game fans? Which of them ya like?
Split Ballygunner in two for the love of the game!
@Mick O’K: was about to say split them into four
@Mick O’K: why
@David Jackman: there been talk that the club numbers are far exceeding the opportunities for players especially in underage teams. Could be a bit like when roanmore formed in the 70’s when they broke away from Mount Sion due to same reasons
Where is ballygunner
@Niall McCarthy: ballygunner is a townsland in eastern Waterford, ruled by the O Sullivan clan. That dynasty may be crumbling like the USA these days with the sending off last week of Shane O Sullivan and this week of Darragh O Sullivan. Their nephews thought, the O Mahonys may be the next rulers of the iron throne, with their cousins the Fitzgerald lad and the Foley lad as their henchmen. Time will tell
@v5OTKkXN: all of them a family a 6th or 7th generation from Ballygunner.
@David Jackman: would ballygunner be an old Viking settlement there in Waterford David? Would the old meaning Baiile mhic Gunnar be the town of the son of Gunner?