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W. Smithers

W. Smithers

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Trial and error

Jake Niall | April 10, 2008

THE day after Carlton's lack of seasoned tall defenders and ruckmen were exploited by Essendon, 199-centimetre Setanta O'hAilpin ran around with the Northern Bullants in the VFL, while his 200-centimetre brother Aisake languished in the Bullants' reserves.

Aisake's demotion was part disciplinary. He had been dropped to the VFL twos following an on-field spat with Matthew Lappin, the veteran ex-Blue who has a joint coaching and playing role with Carlton's VFL affiliate.

Tonight, Setanta will be named in Carlton's 25-man squad, but he is unlikely to be selected in the 22 for the Collingwood game. Aisake might get back to the VFL seniors. Or he might not. Aisake is in his third season at Carlton and is yet to play a senior game.

Carlton cries out for tall defenders and ruckmen, the voids that the Irish brothers were slated to fill. Neither of the hulking O'hAilpins, however, has improved to the point that they can fill Carlton's craters at senior level.
How long can Carlton persist with its O'hAilpin experiment? Setanta, who appeared to be on the verge of establishing himself 12 months ago, is in his fifth season at the club and remains a project; Aisake, 22, and is some distance behind big brother.

Irish playwright Samuel Beckett wrote Waiting for Godot about two guys who sit around waiting for a special person who never comes. In "Waiting For O'hAilpins" there is also the grim possibility that, for all Carlton's patience, like Godot these Irish warriors will never arrive.

Setanta is 25. If he was a recruit plucked from the under 18s, rather than the exotic sport of Irish hurling — that game wherein pasty, crazy Irishmen whack each other with sticks — then his part would already be on the cutting room floor. The same goes for Aisake, who is out of contract at the end of this season and approaching his career high noon.
The O'hAilpins are incredible specimens. They are tall, powerful and can really run; Aisake has amazing endurance for a 200-centimetre, 100-plus kilogram athlete, while Setanta has the same kind of physical traits as Matthew Richardson.

But whereas Richo grew up with the game (and still struggles with the decision-making bits), these angry green giants are attempting to make the transition from a game more like lacrosse than Gaelic football.
It is often forgotten that the brothers have hurling backgrounds, and played minimal, hobby Gaelic football — like a gun footballer playing summer cricket.

In these pages eight days ago, former Melbourne champion Noel McMahen recited the tall-player-takes-time formula of famed coach "Checker" Hughes: "Every inch over six foot you have to wait a year."
If you add a few extra years for the fact that the
O'hAilpins came from a stick sport, not Gaelic footy, and we might not see them peaking until the Western Sydney Watermelons are playing the Gold Coast Gorillas before 8598 people at Telstra Stadium.

Having invested heavily in the pair, Carlton is willing to continue the wait. "From our view point, we think that whilst the boys are still making progress, we still think it's an important project," said Carlton's football operations manager Stephen Icke. "Once they stop making progress, obviously we need to, we need to start asking some questions. But at the moment, they are still making progress, and that's why they're still on our list."

Icke notes that not all Irish recruits will make the transition as swiftly as Collingwood's Marty Clarke, and that the O'hAilpins' hurling background — and size — makes them longer-term projects.

Icke did not believe that Setanta was running out of time.

"I don't think. He is such a late entrant to the game, and he's such a great athlete, and he does everything in regard to his preparation," Icke said. "I don't think you can look at him like a normal 25-year-old player that's been playing in our system, in our sport, for 10 years, for 15 years."
Carlton is not the only party that has to consider the question of how long to wait. Setanta is in his athletic prime and, in Ireland, he was feted as the best teenage hurler before he courageously took the plunge in an alien sport on the other side of the world.

There would be a frenzy of Chris Judd proportions in the hurling world if he gave up his footy dream, picked up his stick and went home.
The brothers are highly competitive and fiery individuals. Setanta, who is contracted until the end of 2009, has invested so much time and passion to make it in the AFL.

His pride as a sportsman is on the line.

And the ending to "Waiting for o'hAilpins" will be written by the end of this season.
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Well despite some lofty predictions from Carlton supporters:

parrot said:
He's a lot better and a lot lot bigger than Croad. Setanta is actually a lot bigger than Cloke and Ackland. He can play ruck, wing and KP forward, but Denis is keeping him at FB while he learns the game. His brother is even bigger, has an unbelievable leap, and is currently being groomed as one of our future ruck prospects. They are brilliant athletes and very very aggressive. :)
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parrot said:
Um.. Brown was their only KP forward, and a triple premiership KP forward, and Setanta kept him to 2 goals. If Setanta got "beaten", I'd be content if he gets "beaten" like this every game this year. Sensational effort by Setanta. :)
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parrot said:
I wonder how many times he punched the ball away from Brown. Must have been about 10+ times easily. Some of them went about 20-30m our way as well. Our backline's really starting to work well together. You often see them zone off their man to help each other out. This is the best defense we have had for about 6 years. :)
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parrot said:
Also watch out for Aisake - Setanta's brother, who will begin having an impact over the next few years. These are the next generation rucks, who'll make Cox look as slow as Laycock. :)
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parrot said:
imright said:
Aisake, who? You have to remind me how many good games that Setanta or his brother has played because I can't remember him playing many good ones.

I gather from your statement about the "next generation rucks" that you wouldn't trade either Setanta for Cox?
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Correct. Setanta has super-star potential, why would we want to trade someone like that? BTW Setanta is not a ruckman, but it sounds like you don't get to watch much footy. Hampson, Aisake and Jacobs are our developing ruck talent. Impressive. :)
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It looks as though Carlton fail again!
 
Some of Parrot's finest work. :D

:o
 
I hope Jack Niall knows something about footy because he knows f all about hurling - It is not crazy men hitting each other with sticks - its fearless men hitting a small ball with a stick where an occasional accident may happen but the honour and glory of the game requires players to have respect for each other and play it in a manly spirit.
 
Setanta reminds me of a poor man's Ackland.

Aisake, a poor mans Tristan Walker.

Carlton fail at everything.
 

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Probably be a good idea for Setanta and Aisake to go back to hurling.
Setanta is a spud. I thought he might go somewhere eventually, but he's 25 and doesn't look like he'll be much good.
 
coyler said:
I hope Jack Niall knows something about footy because he knows f all about hurling - It is not crazy men hitting each other with sticks - its fearless men hitting a small ball with a stick where an occasional accident may happen but the honour and glory of the game requires players to have respect for each other and play it in a manly spirit.
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You should get the Hurling players to help the Gaelic players harden the ____ up, then we might get a series without constant bitching from grown men about a tackle.
 

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I agree that Setanta is simply not upto it.

A side with a strong list would not have him in their starting 22
 
coyler said:
I hope Jack Niall knows something about footy because he knows f all about hurling - It is not crazy men hitting each other with sticks - its fearless men hitting a small ball with a stick where an occasional accident may happen but the honour and glory of the game requires players to have respect for each other and play it in a manly spirit.
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I think it was probably more in jest, or for the sake of the article.
 

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Meh I think he's done allright, considering he's only been playing footy for like five years (Setanta) ...

If it's an experiment that fails, it hasn't cost us any high draft picks ...

I'd like to see any of these keyboard warriors bagging him try to do better at AFL level.
 
celtic_pride said:
Meh I think he's done allright, considering he's only been playing footy for like five years (Setanta) ...

If it's an experiment that fails, it hasn't cost us any high draft picks ...

I'd like to see any of these keyboard warriors bagging him try to do better at AFL level.
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Calling the kettle black much?:o:o
 
celtic_pride said:
Meh I think he's done allright, considering he's only been playing footy for like five years (Setanta) ...

If it's an experiment that fails, it hasn't cost us any high draft picks ...

I'd like to see any of these keyboard warriors bagging him try to do better at AFL level.
Click to expand...

If you can't get a game for Carlton you must be very ordinary.
 

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