- Bombers trial Irish pair as worldwide talent search intensifies -
ESSENDON has shown it is ready to compete with the league's recruiting heavyweights as the club scours the globe for recruits. The Bombers have hosted Irish pair Mike Quinn and Ian Ryan for a fortnight at Windy Hill and will soon decide whether to put the pair on the club's rookie list.
Recruiting manager Adrian Dodoro said yesterday the club had told him to track down elite talent overseas to combat the competition for local young players fuelled by the two new AFL franchises.
Once a curiosity, international recruiting may become a necessity for sides set to be frozen out of the draft's early selections.
"We are looking far and wide," Dodoro said.
"We have a mandate to go out and find the best talent available through our traditional markets, and through putting resources into our non-traditional markets.
"All clubs are now looking at the opportunities given we have two new franchises coming in over the next few years.
"We need to find talent and the talent pool has to increase somehow, so looking at overseas players is what we will have to do."
Essendon has realised its strong profits and cash reserves will mean nothing if they do not help the club improve its list.
"We sat down this year and tried to work out how we were going to get a strategic advantage over the opposition," Dodoro said.
"We felt that given our resources, and that we are a strong, powerful club, we wanted to look at every avenue at looking for players."
Gaelic football junior stars Quinn and Smith impressed in the two-week camp, but did not train with the main squad, as dictated by AFL rules.
Instead, they have been tested and scrutinised by an Essendon match committee looking for their version of Sydney's Tadhg Kennelly.
"The boys were highly recommended to us and we decided they were the two we wanted to look at," Dodoro said.
"They have gone through an exhaustive two-week program, and we will make our mind up in the next week or so as to what path we take."
Essendon hopes to steal a march on rival clubs involved in Ricky Nixon's Irish training camp, which starts next week.
"We made a conscious decision that we wanted to do it independently (from Nixon), so we weren't going to be compromised if we wanted a player and other clubs wanted that player," Dodoro said.
County Limerick footballer Ryan, 19, had a unique take on the contrasts between AFL and gaelic football.
"The main difference is that in the AFL the players get more protection off the ball. In gaelic football there are a lot more elbows and dirty stuff," Ryan said.
"There is a lot of skill involved in kicking the (Australian) ball and getting used to it. The handballing is very similar to Gaelic. I haven't done a lot of tackling, but I presume that would be the hardest, getting used to that."
County Longford footballer Quinn, 19, is a full-forward in Ireland, but would play as a midfielder in the AFL.
"I have loved being here, it's been a great experience," Quinn said yesterday.
"It's so different to come over from amateur football to a professional set-up. All the Essendon players are dead-on. They made us feel at home."
"A lot of Irish people are trying (to play AFL).
"There are a lot heading over to Australia now in the last two years, trying to see if they can make it.
"Not everyone is going to be Tadhg Kennelly or (Collingwood's) Marty Clarke, but everyone will try." (Heraldsun.com.au)
Very intresting I thought.
Wouldnt hurt to give it a go in my opinion,
but I couldnt see it happening just yet..
hope I am wrong
ESSENDON has shown it is ready to compete with the league's recruiting heavyweights as the club scours the globe for recruits. The Bombers have hosted Irish pair Mike Quinn and Ian Ryan for a fortnight at Windy Hill and will soon decide whether to put the pair on the club's rookie list.
Recruiting manager Adrian Dodoro said yesterday the club had told him to track down elite talent overseas to combat the competition for local young players fuelled by the two new AFL franchises.
Once a curiosity, international recruiting may become a necessity for sides set to be frozen out of the draft's early selections.
"We are looking far and wide," Dodoro said.
"We have a mandate to go out and find the best talent available through our traditional markets, and through putting resources into our non-traditional markets.
"All clubs are now looking at the opportunities given we have two new franchises coming in over the next few years.
"We need to find talent and the talent pool has to increase somehow, so looking at overseas players is what we will have to do."
Essendon has realised its strong profits and cash reserves will mean nothing if they do not help the club improve its list.
"We sat down this year and tried to work out how we were going to get a strategic advantage over the opposition," Dodoro said.
"We felt that given our resources, and that we are a strong, powerful club, we wanted to look at every avenue at looking for players."
Gaelic football junior stars Quinn and Smith impressed in the two-week camp, but did not train with the main squad, as dictated by AFL rules.
Instead, they have been tested and scrutinised by an Essendon match committee looking for their version of Sydney's Tadhg Kennelly.
"The boys were highly recommended to us and we decided they were the two we wanted to look at," Dodoro said.
"They have gone through an exhaustive two-week program, and we will make our mind up in the next week or so as to what path we take."
Essendon hopes to steal a march on rival clubs involved in Ricky Nixon's Irish training camp, which starts next week.
"We made a conscious decision that we wanted to do it independently (from Nixon), so we weren't going to be compromised if we wanted a player and other clubs wanted that player," Dodoro said.
County Limerick footballer Ryan, 19, had a unique take on the contrasts between AFL and gaelic football.
"The main difference is that in the AFL the players get more protection off the ball. In gaelic football there are a lot more elbows and dirty stuff," Ryan said.
"There is a lot of skill involved in kicking the (Australian) ball and getting used to it. The handballing is very similar to Gaelic. I haven't done a lot of tackling, but I presume that would be the hardest, getting used to that."
County Longford footballer Quinn, 19, is a full-forward in Ireland, but would play as a midfielder in the AFL.
"I have loved being here, it's been a great experience," Quinn said yesterday.
"It's so different to come over from amateur football to a professional set-up. All the Essendon players are dead-on. They made us feel at home."
"A lot of Irish people are trying (to play AFL).
"There are a lot heading over to Australia now in the last two years, trying to see if they can make it.
"Not everyone is going to be Tadhg Kennelly or (Collingwood's) Marty Clarke, but everyone will try." (Heraldsun.com.au)
Very intresting I thought.
Wouldnt hurt to give it a go in my opinion,
but I couldnt see it happening just yet..
hope I am wrong
