Apparently the Saints are looking into drafting a 195cm midfielder from Ireland. 
Anyone got any info?
Anyone got any info?
Irish Rookie
- Thread starter Armitage2Riewoldt
- Start date
- Tagged users None
🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.
Look2Me4Guidance
Destination Club Supporter
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2007
- Posts
- 34,399
- Reaction score
- 17,038
- Location
- On the punt
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
- Other Teams
- Phoenix Suns
Apparently the Saints are looking into drafting a 195cm midfielder from Ireland.
Anyone got any info?
Yes. He'll be absolutely trilled to be here.
Hahaha, oh dear.
I might get a beer.
CHBench
Norm Smith Medallist
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
- Posts
- 9,175
- Reaction score
- 11,448
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
- Other Teams
- sixers
I think this is the guy.
NIALL MCKEEVER
Club: CASEMENT'S PORTGLENONE
Age: 17
Weight: 13st.
Height: 6’4’’
Playing Position: FORWARD / MIDFIELD
- Thread starter
- #4
Thanks for some info, he looks goodski. Hopefully he's a freak and a natural.
Wouldn't be bad to have a 6"4 midfielder.
Wouldn't be bad to have a 6"4 midfielder.
Log in to remove this Banner Ad
CHBench
Norm Smith Medallist
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
- Posts
- 9,175
- Reaction score
- 11,448
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
- Other Teams
- sixers
Irish young guns here to try their AFL luck
Dan Silkstone | November 9, 2008
IRELAND'S international rules team may have left Australia's shores but the Emerald Isle's racehorses are not the only interlopers visiting Melbourne this week.
Today, two of Irish football's most gifted youngsters touch down at Tullamarine, hoping that the adventure of a lifetime can be translated into a contract with an AFL team.
The pair — Conor Meredith and Niall McKeever — are the first batch from player agent Ricky Nixon's Irish recruiting experiment and arrive as clubs say they are increasingly looking offshore for talent as the addition of two new franchises means future AFL drafts will be severely compromised.
The young Irishmen were seen among hopefuls at a mini-camp organised by Nixon in Ireland in August. They arrive for a two-week trial funded by three AFL clubs to see if they enjoy the city and have the necessary attributes for a career in Australian football.
Meredith, 18, will trial for a week each with North Melbourne and Richmond, while 17-year-old McKeever will trial for a week each with Richmond and St Kilda.
A third player — James Kielt — will arrive in a fortnight for trials with North Melbourne and possibly St Kilda. Another two players will arrive for trials later in the month but Nixon would not reveal their names.
The pair arrive as it emerges that another Irishman — one of the Gaelic games' hottest young stars — is also in Melbourne with hopes of landing an AFL contract.
Tom Parsons was the youngest member of the Irish international rules team that twice defeated Australia last month. The 20-year-old has remained in Melbourne after the series and is scheduled to meet with Nixon to discuss the possibility of an AFL career. Nixon said there had been "significant interest" in the tall, athletic onballer from several clubs.
Meredith is a tall full forward in Ireland but — with good running ability — is more likely to play at half-back in the AFL. Nixon describes him as one of the best natural kicks of the oval ball he has seen.
McKeever is taller — "a gangly six-foot-six-type" — who Nixon compares to Nick Riewoldt. "He ran a 14.5 beep test for us which puts him in elite AFL category and he has barely done any training."
Kielt, described as a classy left-foot kick is considered a centre half-back prospect.
If the trials are successful, clubs could add the players to their rookie lists immediately. "It's important they come out here, get a feel for Australia, show what they can do and meet with the coaches," Nixon said. "We are trying to make sure that the ones that get signed up are a reasonable chance to make it."
Richmond football manager Craig Cameron said the Tigers were excited about the opportunity of signing their first international rookie. "We had a look at them over there in August. Now in Australia we want to see how they shape up compared to our guys, have our coaches and fitness guys look over them and see if they've got the requisite skill and athletic attributes," he said. "But also to give them a taste of what Australia and life as an AFL footballer is like.
"We are working out whether Ireland is going to become a long-term recruiting market for us and this is only our first step in the process."
Recruiters believe the Irish game has moved closer to AFL in recent years and younger players will find it easier to adapt than their predecessors. "In terms of decision-making, ball movement and speed the games are now very close," Cameron said.
Clubs are taking Ireland increasingly seriously as a recruiting ground, knowing that the addition of Gold Coast and west Sydney teams in coming years will seriously limit the pool of talent available through the draft.
"We have got to look to new markets to find talent, especially with the two new teams on the horizon in the next four years and us being hamstrung in the draft by the concessions they will receive," Cameron said.
North Melbourne chief executive Eugene Arocca was also excited about the chance of signing the club's first international rookie, saying foreign-born players added interest to a club.
"I was involved at Collingwood in getting Marty Clarke and Kevin Dyas … the only issue is distance," he said. "You can bring in young men with the base skills that they have and work with them to develop and outstanding result.
"The longer-term challenge is hanging onto them … the lure for these men to return to their homeland is very strong."
Dan Silkstone | November 9, 2008
IRELAND'S international rules team may have left Australia's shores but the Emerald Isle's racehorses are not the only interlopers visiting Melbourne this week.
Today, two of Irish football's most gifted youngsters touch down at Tullamarine, hoping that the adventure of a lifetime can be translated into a contract with an AFL team.
The pair — Conor Meredith and Niall McKeever — are the first batch from player agent Ricky Nixon's Irish recruiting experiment and arrive as clubs say they are increasingly looking offshore for talent as the addition of two new franchises means future AFL drafts will be severely compromised.
The young Irishmen were seen among hopefuls at a mini-camp organised by Nixon in Ireland in August. They arrive for a two-week trial funded by three AFL clubs to see if they enjoy the city and have the necessary attributes for a career in Australian football.
Meredith, 18, will trial for a week each with North Melbourne and Richmond, while 17-year-old McKeever will trial for a week each with Richmond and St Kilda.
A third player — James Kielt — will arrive in a fortnight for trials with North Melbourne and possibly St Kilda. Another two players will arrive for trials later in the month but Nixon would not reveal their names.
The pair arrive as it emerges that another Irishman — one of the Gaelic games' hottest young stars — is also in Melbourne with hopes of landing an AFL contract.
Tom Parsons was the youngest member of the Irish international rules team that twice defeated Australia last month. The 20-year-old has remained in Melbourne after the series and is scheduled to meet with Nixon to discuss the possibility of an AFL career. Nixon said there had been "significant interest" in the tall, athletic onballer from several clubs.
Meredith is a tall full forward in Ireland but — with good running ability — is more likely to play at half-back in the AFL. Nixon describes him as one of the best natural kicks of the oval ball he has seen.
McKeever is taller — "a gangly six-foot-six-type" — who Nixon compares to Nick Riewoldt. "He ran a 14.5 beep test for us which puts him in elite AFL category and he has barely done any training."
Kielt, described as a classy left-foot kick is considered a centre half-back prospect.
If the trials are successful, clubs could add the players to their rookie lists immediately. "It's important they come out here, get a feel for Australia, show what they can do and meet with the coaches," Nixon said. "We are trying to make sure that the ones that get signed up are a reasonable chance to make it."
Richmond football manager Craig Cameron said the Tigers were excited about the opportunity of signing their first international rookie. "We had a look at them over there in August. Now in Australia we want to see how they shape up compared to our guys, have our coaches and fitness guys look over them and see if they've got the requisite skill and athletic attributes," he said. "But also to give them a taste of what Australia and life as an AFL footballer is like.
"We are working out whether Ireland is going to become a long-term recruiting market for us and this is only our first step in the process."
Recruiters believe the Irish game has moved closer to AFL in recent years and younger players will find it easier to adapt than their predecessors. "In terms of decision-making, ball movement and speed the games are now very close," Cameron said.
Clubs are taking Ireland increasingly seriously as a recruiting ground, knowing that the addition of Gold Coast and west Sydney teams in coming years will seriously limit the pool of talent available through the draft.
"We have got to look to new markets to find talent, especially with the two new teams on the horizon in the next four years and us being hamstrung in the draft by the concessions they will receive," Cameron said.
North Melbourne chief executive Eugene Arocca was also excited about the chance of signing the club's first international rookie, saying foreign-born players added interest to a club.
"I was involved at Collingwood in getting Marty Clarke and Kevin Dyas … the only issue is distance," he said. "You can bring in young men with the base skills that they have and work with them to develop and outstanding result.
"The longer-term challenge is hanging onto them … the lure for these men to return to their homeland is very strong."
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2007
- Posts
- 7,134
- Reaction score
- 4,574
- Location
- Hobart
- AFL Club
- Tasmania
- Other Teams
- Tassie Tigers
I don't like the whole irish rookie idea for a wide range of reasons, the most important of them probably being that Kennelly aside they've all been failures.
But good luck to them, if we manage to get a good player for free that'd be something.
But good luck to them, if we manage to get a good player for free that'd be something.
TassieSaint, ever heard of Jimmy Stynes?
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2007
- Posts
- 7,134
- Reaction score
- 4,574
- Location
- Hobart
- AFL Club
- Tasmania
- Other Teams
- Tassie Tigers
yep forgot about him
but that was a long time ago. still not a very good strike rate though.
Squizz
Brownlow Medallist
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2007
- Posts
- 14,562
- Reaction score
- 3,373
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
Whilst I still shudder at visualising Dermott McNicholl's kicking of a sherrin, Sean Wight was pretty good value with the D's back then.
Marty Clarke played 22 games last year and looks decent enough.
The strike rate isn't that flash, but there are a heap of great athletes over there. If they can learn to kick a ball quickly then worth a go, but too many clubs have just gone with the running ability alone.
Marty Clarke played 22 games last year and looks decent enough.
The strike rate isn't that flash, but there are a heap of great athletes over there. If they can learn to kick a ball quickly then worth a go, but too many clubs have just gone with the running ability alone.
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2008
- Posts
- 68,099
- Reaction score
- 81,529
- Location
- Narre Warren North
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
- Other Teams
- .
Irish players are not used to tackling so they can be very soft. An Irish rookie could fill the gaping gap in our team that will be there without Fiora.
Where else could we find such a soft outside midfielder!
Where else could we find such a soft outside midfielder!
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2003
- Posts
- 1,755
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- In a house
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
- Other Teams
- South Adelaide, Penrith
Im with Tassie on this. There are literally thousands of kids in our own backyard that can play AFL football. These kids have been brought up on Aussie rules and know the game inside and out. Give our kids a go at it first is my motto
Tiger_Of_Old
THE_GUN:"Why don't you use your reg acc"7/9/24
Ricky Nixon mentioned on SEN this morning that they have convinced Tom Walsh to come over and have a trial.Regarded as the best kid in Ireland.6'4 who loves to throw his weight around.He will be training with the Saints.
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2007
- Posts
- 7,134
- Reaction score
- 4,574
- Location
- Hobart
- AFL Club
- Tasmania
- Other Teams
- Tassie Tigers
Exactly. I was reading an article about one of the guys the Bulldogs are rookie listing from Fiji. In the article he admits he knows nothing about the game, did not want to go to the trial but was forced to by his family, says he didn't really care about getting the scholarship until he heard Aussie Rules was a big game, and tops it all off by saying he thought footy was for girls.
Why bother with these guys when there are so many Australian kids who'd give their left nut just to train with an AFL team? Surely we can find home grown athletic freaks who actually love the game (or better yet, home grown footballing talent who aren't picked up due to perceived lack of athleticism, a la Sam Mitchell)
CHBench
Norm Smith Medallist
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
- Posts
- 9,175
- Reaction score
- 11,448
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
- Other Teams
- sixers
Top Irish teen to train with Saints
THE TEENAGER voted Ireland's best young Gaelic footballer will train with St Kilda later this month as he weighs up a possible move to the AFL.
Forward Tommy Walsh, 19, was last month named the Gaelic Athletic Association's young footballer of the year, so the news that the amateur Irish code could lose him to the AFL is expected to cause consternation in his homeland.
Player manager Ricky Nixon, who helped convince the forward to try his hand at the Australian game as part of his Irish talent-spotting program, acknowledged as much.
"It probably won't make people in Ireland too happy, but he's coming out," Nixon told Melbourne's SEN radio.
"I can't tell you if he'll want to play or stay or if he'll be good enough but he's definitely one of the best talents that I've seen."
Walsh played for Kerry in this year's All Ireland final.
Nixon described him as an athletic power forward "in the mould of a Wayne Carey" and said he was the most exciting prospect of the large group of Irish youngsters his recruiting team had looked at.
"We pulled off a pretty big coup ... he's previously resisted every attempt to get him out here," he said.
He will come to Australia in a fortnight and train with the Saints for a week, although that does not rule out other AFL clubs recruiting him.
Nixon's program has resulted in several other Irish youngsters currently training or intending to train with AFL clubs.
Conor Meredith and Niall McKeever are currently with Richmond.
Next week, Meredith will train with North Melbourne, while McKeever will spend the week with the Saints.
Another Irishman, James Kielt, will train with both the Kangaroos and St Kilda in coming weeks, while Walsh and compatriot David Moran will try their hand with the Saints.
But Nixon said his systematic recruiting scheme was no reason for the Irish to be afraid that their youngsters would start heading to the AFL in droves.
He said the more likely outcome was that those who came to Australia would be better prepared and suited for an AFL career because they had been more thoroughly tested.
Under AFL rules, if a club reaches an agreement with an Irish player, the club can nominate them ahead of the rookie draft, guaranteeing they are able to recruit them to their rookie list.
http://afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=69681
Seems we have a pretty good relationship with Ricky Nixon at the moment. Of course there isn't a very good strike rate, but it's a great get for the club to convince the guy to come out when there's already been numerous attempts by other clubs.
THE TEENAGER voted Ireland's best young Gaelic footballer will train with St Kilda later this month as he weighs up a possible move to the AFL.
Forward Tommy Walsh, 19, was last month named the Gaelic Athletic Association's young footballer of the year, so the news that the amateur Irish code could lose him to the AFL is expected to cause consternation in his homeland.
Player manager Ricky Nixon, who helped convince the forward to try his hand at the Australian game as part of his Irish talent-spotting program, acknowledged as much.
"It probably won't make people in Ireland too happy, but he's coming out," Nixon told Melbourne's SEN radio.
"I can't tell you if he'll want to play or stay or if he'll be good enough but he's definitely one of the best talents that I've seen."
Walsh played for Kerry in this year's All Ireland final.
Nixon described him as an athletic power forward "in the mould of a Wayne Carey" and said he was the most exciting prospect of the large group of Irish youngsters his recruiting team had looked at.
"We pulled off a pretty big coup ... he's previously resisted every attempt to get him out here," he said.
He will come to Australia in a fortnight and train with the Saints for a week, although that does not rule out other AFL clubs recruiting him.
Nixon's program has resulted in several other Irish youngsters currently training or intending to train with AFL clubs.
Conor Meredith and Niall McKeever are currently with Richmond.
Next week, Meredith will train with North Melbourne, while McKeever will spend the week with the Saints.
Another Irishman, James Kielt, will train with both the Kangaroos and St Kilda in coming weeks, while Walsh and compatriot David Moran will try their hand with the Saints.
But Nixon said his systematic recruiting scheme was no reason for the Irish to be afraid that their youngsters would start heading to the AFL in droves.
He said the more likely outcome was that those who came to Australia would be better prepared and suited for an AFL career because they had been more thoroughly tested.
Under AFL rules, if a club reaches an agreement with an Irish player, the club can nominate them ahead of the rookie draft, guaranteeing they are able to recruit them to their rookie list.
http://afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=69681
Seems we have a pretty good relationship with Ricky Nixon at the moment. Of course there isn't a very good strike rate, but it's a great get for the club to convince the guy to come out when there's already been numerous attempts by other clubs.
wheels4
All Australian
http://www.saints.com.au/tabid/5315/Default.aspx?newsid=69682
Tommy Walsh
Was CHBench wrong no she couldnt be
Tommy Walsh
Was CHBench wrong no she couldnt be
CHBench
Norm Smith Medallist
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
- Posts
- 9,175
- Reaction score
- 11,448
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
- Other Teams
- sixers
I'm a woman, we're never wrong.
Life lesson learned.
🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.
This is the guy that could step straight into an AFL team at centre forward and be physically ready for it. Was hoping the recruiters wouldn't be able to sway him as he's a brilliant gaelic footballer. Soon as I saw him playing as a 17 year old I thought "If they have to use nets and a tranquilizer gun some AFL team is going to get him."
Here he is scoring a goal in Croke Park.
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR06J0VqLaE
(He gets the first goal by the way!)
Here he is scoring a goal in Croke Park.
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR06J0VqLaE
(He gets the first goal by the way!)
CHBench
Norm Smith Medallist
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
- Posts
- 9,175
- Reaction score
- 11,448
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
- Other Teams
- sixers
Thanks for the info.
Looking at that video he looks fast, like really fast.
Judging by your location Horsebox you know a fair bit on Gaelic, yeah?
What do you think of the other guys training with the Saints?
Niall Mckeever
James Kielt
David Moran
Looking at that video he looks fast, like really fast.
Judging by your location Horsebox you know a fair bit on Gaelic, yeah?
What do you think of the other guys training with the Saints?
Niall Mckeever
James Kielt
David Moran
What's hard to tell from that video is that he's already about 98kg. If he seriously hit the weights he would be absolutely gigantic.
Of the other guys, I don't know much about McKeever. Kielt was an excellent minor (u-18) player for Derry and Moran is another very big guy who's highly skilled. Walsh and Moran are both from Kerry and both would have been in their senior starting 15 next season so there will be a lot of disappointed Kerry people if one or both leave for Oz.
Of the other guys, I don't know much about McKeever. Kielt was an excellent minor (u-18) player for Derry and Moran is another very big guy who's highly skilled. Walsh and Moran are both from Kerry and both would have been in their senior starting 15 next season so there will be a lot of disappointed Kerry people if one or both leave for Oz.
CHBench
Norm Smith Medallist
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2008
- Posts
- 9,175
- Reaction score
- 11,448
- AFL Club
- St Kilda
- Other Teams
- sixers
Really appreciate the info.
98kg
Geez, if this Welsh guy can learn to kick the oval ball he could be very handy. Surprised he's not training with anyone else. Wast the only one of the rookies to play for Ireland in the international rules series.
98kg
Geez, if this Welsh guy can learn to kick the oval ball he could be very handy. Surprised he's not training with anyone else. Wast the only one of the rookies to play for Ireland in the international rules series.
Walsh didn't play in the IR. He was in the final squad but his local club were still in the Kerry county championship so he stayed at home and they won the title. But he did take part in all the squad preparation and he was supposed to be really good at the game. He has great hands and I'd imagine he would be a pretty easy target to hit!
rebelcounty
Team Captain
Tommy Walsh, couldn't believe it till I saw it, if he sticks with it, it will be a massive, massive loss to Kerry football. Devastating would even describe it. Young Footballer of the year for 2008, outstanding player..those Kerry feckers wont be too pleased I'd imagine..one of if not the county’s most promising player.Massive, massive blow.