"What a kick in the hole for clubs who've brought them through"

October 30, 2018

Derry's Anton Tohill during the AFL Combine at UCD

Tomás Ó Sé has branded the AFL’s accelerated poaching of young GAA talent “disgraceful”.

As it was confirmed that Sligo’s Red Óg Murphy was bound for North Melbourne, where he will become the 14th Irish player in the AFL, former Kerry ace Ó Sé took to Twitter to voice his disapproval, suggesting that the Aussie Rules clubs who “swan in” and take the cream of the GAA’s talent should be forced to compensate the affected clubs.

As well as Murphy, Derry duo Anton Tohill (Collingwood) and Callum Brown (GWS), Cork’s Mark Keane (Collingwood), Dublin’s James Madden (Brisbane) and Kerry’s Stefan Okunbor (Geelong) have all relocated Down Under this summer.

“7th player signed on the off season from Ireland. it’s great opportunity for lads and don’t blame them one bit but what a kick in the hole for clubs who’ve brought them through and given them everything. Counties too. Aussies just pick and leave. Charge them,” Ó Sé said on social media.

The former Kerry wing back added that the money should go to the players’ clubs who nurtured the talent in the first place: “Straight to club. Transfer markets??? Hardly. They are two different sports. We are amateur for god sake. Under GAA supervision they should be made pay a contribution yes. God sake amount of clubs struggling financially and these fellas swan in and out poaching. Disgraceful.”


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