There have never been more Irish players in the AFL and collectively they continue to break new ground. The relationship spans 30 years and in January 2020 it looked stronger than ever. Yet the coronavirus pandemic threatens to disrupt it all, and the “Irish experiment” faces an uncertain future.
This season, 17 Irish players are contracted to clubs. In the past month alone, 20-year old Mark Keane debuted for Collingwood, Essendon’s Conor McKenna dazzled fans with a delightful solo and Geelong’s Zach Tuohy bypassed former Sydney Swans star Tadhg Kennelly into second place on the AFL appearance list for Irish players.
The attraction is obvious for everyone involved. The demands on Gaelic footballers who represent their counties – the highest possible level in the game – are growing at an alarming rate. A survey by Ireland’s Economic and Social Research Institute revealed players now dedicate up to 31 hours per week to the sport.
That is a considerable cost when the payoff is purely local honour. For all the similarities, the inherent difference between Gaelic and Australian rules football is amateurism. Warm weather and the chance to become a full-time professional athlete ensures there will always be a steady stream of eager prospects keen to make the move to the other side of the world.
For clubs, any edge is crucial in the fine margins of footy.
“Athletically they are excellent,” explains Collingwood’s former captain and current leadership and culture manager, Nick Maxwell. The premiership winner knows what Gaelic footballers can bring having played alongside County Down’s Martin Clarke, who logged 73 games for the Magpies.
Maxwell is now in charge of ensuring their foreign contingent feel at home. The Pies currently have four Irish players across their men’s and women’s programme. “They are used to catching and kicking a ball; those hand-eye skills are already there. Our game is also about work-rate which can be a big challenge, but the Irish boys are primed for it.”
International players can now join as Category B rookies having previously taken a spot on the main rookie list. That Irish players can be signed directly outside the draft has proved an added incentive in recent seasons. It is an expensive approach but there is a major benefit. “The value is that they sit outside the salary cap,” says Maxwell. “The AFL allow you bring in players from outside. It is essentially a free hit if you can afford to pay it.”
The question now, though, is who can afford it? Over 60 Irishmen have taken the leap but only seven have surpassed 50 games. The success rate, however, is improving. Of that cohort, three are currently playing. Young competitors like Geelong’s Mark O’Connor, Sydney’s Colin O’Riordan and Hawthorn duo Conor Nash and Conor Glass are all in with a chance to do similar.
For the past seven years, the AFL has hosted a weekend combine in Dublin which has become the established route for recruiters to identify and sign teenage talent. Significantly, the association suspended the US draft combine from 2018, and instead focused on Ireland.
AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan is at the forefront of that process. “In my view it won’t go away because of the pandemic, but there is uncertainty in the short term,” he says. Four players who impressed at last December’s combine were due to come to Australia this winter for further trials. That trip was postponed and is yet to be rescheduled.
Each year, Sheehan is aided by former Irish AFL players as they test agility, speed and jumping results. It has been an effective cost cutting measure to tap into this overseas breeding ground. “The combine is a shared service,” he says. “A combination of tests for athleticism, skills, mental toughness necessary to make the grade. It is combining the resources of several clubs.
“Right now, we just can’t do the last crucial step of bringing players into Australia. It might not even occur within Australia this year, we don’t know. Even if it isn’t coordinated from a central point of view through AFL Europe, those that believe in it will find a way.”
In the case of Collingwood, Maxwell says they will persist, but it will not be easy. “Teams will continue to look at those opportunities because we’ve seen it work through the competition. With the impact of Covid, however, we don’t know the future of lists or what the salary cap will look like. Time will tell how this affects the market.”
The low success rate means many players swiftly return home. In recent years, certain clubs have started to recognise the value in that. These individuals might not have been successful, but their experience ensures they know what it takes. Hawthorn’s Nash and Glass were identified at the age of 15 while playing at regional school level. Once a month they met with former Essendon player Michael Quinn for pitch sessions to prepare for the oval ball. They then signed for the Hawks when they turned 18.
GWS Giants have also operated outside of the combine. Twenty-year-old Callum Brown was recruited in 2018 on the recommendation of Irishman and former Giants defence coach Nicholas Walsh.
And therein lies the conundrum. Clubs can look to past athletes to identify and prepare young prospects but that is a costly exercise at a time when every penny counts. A cheaper alternative is the combine but Covid restrictions ensure planning that in the foreseeable future is almost impossible. The appetite remains but satiating it is set to be a severe challenge.
