3 days ago
Potential blow for Kerry GAA on the horizon as rising star flies to Australia to negotiate AFL switch
A GAA legend hit out at the AFL for poaching Irish talent
UNDER THE RADAR Potential blow for Kerry GAA on the horizon as rising star flies to Australia to negotiate AFL switch
ANOTHER rising GAA star could be set for a move to Australia, according to reports.
Per the Irish Examiner, Kerry starlet Ben Murphy is set to fly to Australia this week to visit the Brisbane Lions.
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Ben Murphy, left, could be set for a move to the AFL
Credit: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
It is believed that the Lions are one of two AFL clubs speaking to the Austin Stacks youngster who helped the Kingdom win the U20 Munster final against Cork last April.
He was also named in the 2024 Electric Ireland GAA Minor Star Football Team of the Year.
Should he be snapped up by Brisbane, Murphy would be one of a number of Kerry players currently plying their trade Down Under.
Cillian Burke joined Geelong last year, with Mark O'Connor a teammate.
Meanwhile, Rob Monahan is with Carlton Blues in Melbourne.
GAA players making moves to the AFL has been a polarising topic in Ireland, with some complaining about the process by which it takes place.
Back in February, Kerry U20 boss Tomás Ó Sé slammed the AFL for poaching young talent.
Five-time All-Star Ó Sé does not begrudge any youngster going Down Under but has a dim view of how the Aussie professional outfits go about their business.
He said: 'I think it's wrong what's going on.
'I know for a fact that there's an Under-20 player in Kerry being rung by coaches from an Australian club telling him how he did in matches after watching him.
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'And if it was a professional . . . I don't know what the rules are.
"If it was soccer or rugby I don't think they'd be allowed to do that when the fella is doing his Leaving Cert.
'Don't get me wrong, fellas think I'm completely against going out.
"If the offer is there, I'd wish him all the best and I'd always wish him all the best and I hope there's success out there and it's brilliant.
'But as a Kerry man, I hate the way it's done.
'I just hate the way there's 15 years going into a young fella and it's just, 'Oh yeah, we'll have that fella there and we'll shoot off'.'
The previous December, former Kerry and AFL star Tommy Walsh urged the GAA to be proactive in tackling the issue.
Speaking on The Mike Quirke Podcast, Walsh made it clear that he doesn't want to stop players from leaving or deny them the opportunity - but would like to incentivise them to stay.
'AGGRESSIVE'
Walsh told former Kerry player and selector Quirke that the AFL issue 'isn't going away' because the recruitment rules around international players are favourable.
He said: "I think it's going to be a really difficult one to get your head around and to try to see any change in the numbers that are going over. They're a very aggressive organisation.
"They want to grow and Ireland is a market for them. So, as I said, it isn't going away. It is something that's probably going to get bigger.
"It's up to the GAA, nationally and locally, they need to get in front of it and to put something together so that at least if they do come to a guy, that we already have him down a particular path possibly before they even get to them.
"From a player's point of view, it's great because their conditions are going to improve, if you are one of those guys.
"And if you never end up going to Australia, this Australian problem we'll call it, has improved your life here. So it may well be a good thing for player welfare going forward."
