Clarke passes on kicking tips to Aussie Rules mate - Irish Article

[Dave The Man]

WHILE many of the Australian International Rules team have little experience with the round ball, one exception is 20-year-old Collingwood player Scott Pendlebury.
Not only is the exciting young midfielder a former underage Australian basketball player, he's also had a few kicking lessons from his team-mate, Irish man Martin Clarke.
Clarke may be one of the most successful Irish players to convert to Australian Rules but the Down man's reluctance to totally leave his round ball days behind in preference to a total conversion to the oval ball appears to be rubbing off on his team-mates.
"Martin will often take out the round ball around the club and we've had a few kicks during the year. He likes to do a few tricks with it and I'm always intrigued to see how he can do it. He'd love to be playing in the series. I think he's doing some media work in Ireland around that time so hopefully he won't put me down too much," Pendlebury laughs.
HOMESICK
As for his basketball career, the young Magpie only stopped playing three years ago. Living at the Australian Institute of Sport Academy in Canberra, he became homesick and decided to move home to Melbourne and pursue an AFL career. Having played at under-18 and under-20 level for Australia, the International Rules series is not the first time he's had the opportunity to represent his country.
Pendlebury believes basketball experience has been a big help in his preparation for upcoming international duty in a different code.
"Handling the ball is no problem, being able to palm it and stuff and I can definitely read the bounce of the ball but most of the guys are picking it up pretty well. Kicking it is still a bit tricky but we'll figure that out."
Ten of the International Rules squad's Melbourne based players met at Arden St yesterday morning for their first collective training session and, over all, the young midfielder was happy with how things went.
"It was a pretty good session. The skills were pretty good and the voice will get there so it will all happen before next Friday."
And it's the "voice" of the group that Pendlebury says will be crucial to develop. With many of the players unfamiliar to each other the squad is still learning each other's nick names. Pendlebury is adamant that the group's ability to gel ahead of the series will play a big part in whether they can retain the Cormac McAnallen cup.
"You don't know them. I suppose you play against them and you hear about them. It's good to meet guys from other clubs. The closer we can get as a group before next Friday, the better we'll be."
Donegal's managerial U-turn
CHARLIE MULGREW and Declan Bonner are the new joint managerial ticket in Donegal, but only after a dramatic twist in the appointment process.
According to local reports, the five-man selection committee first offered the job to John Joe Doherty on a split 3-2 decision - only for the offer to be withdrawn less than half-an-hour later when Mulgrew and Bonner informed that they had been successful.
The duo had originally applied separately for the vacancy created by Brian McIver's resignation, only to launch a joint bid in recent days. Their names will now go before a full county board meeting for ratification on November 3.
This will be Bonner's second stint in the Donegal hotseat, having led his native county for three championship campaigns (1998-2000). Mulgrew was a selector in that management team before going on to achieve some standout success as Fermanagh boss, leading the Ernesiders to an All-Ireland semi-final appearance in 2004

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And that is absolutely fantastic news! Thank you for that DTM.