Setanta

[HBF]

I just like his attributes that is suited to Full Back...

line him up against any player in the AFL who is 102kgs and 199cms...and is quicker than him...

all he has to do is spoil, punch the thing and not get thrown around like poor T-Bird did...Thornton must be lovin it

I was saying to Gilly on Saturday night that he might just be the find of the year. I am genuinely excited about our prospects this year.

 

[Johnny_3]

I remember first getting him.

Big
Strong
Fast
Athletic

Dream come true.
First game against richmond, IIRC one possie.
So disappointed. But since Sydney last year my beleif has been rediscovered and once again his amazing atributes come into play.

Definently has the qualities to be one of the best FB's of all time.

 

[audas]

I was saying to Gilly on Saturday night that he might just be the find of the year. I am genuinely excited about our prospects this year.

I know...

 

[Bluebear]

Yeh, I do remember that first game. Didn't get much time, and played forward. No-one was going to do well in our F50 that day.....bad day.......

His 5th game was vs the Dogs last year. For a 5th gamer to BEAT Chris Grant........I was hooked. He even pushed forward late and had a (very forgettable) shot on goal from 50m.

The rest is history.
He has played 11 games.
What odds for the rising star?

 

[bexta444]

Gives me plenty of laughs because he's so animated!
But honestly you couldn’t find a keener bloke he is trying so hard and doing everything he can to better himself - great attitude.
We all know Brown wasn’t fit and not up to his best, but that game was priceless in terms of what Setanta would have learnt on a player like Brown.

 

[AndyWalkersGirl]

Gives me plenty of laughs because he's so animated!
But honestly you couldn’t find a keener bloke he is trying so hard and doing everything he can to better himself - great attitude.
We all know Brown wasn’t fit and not up to his best, but that game was priceless in terms of what Setanta would have learnt on a player like Brown.

also a big confidence boost for Setanta. The fact that brown wasn't 100% fit is not entirely relevent, in fact if anythign it probably helps Setanta... it was a mental win, and the mental win is so much more important than a physical one.

 

[Bluebear]

Gives me plenty of laughs because he's so animated!
But honestly you couldn’t find a keener bloke he is trying so hard and doing everything he can to better himself - great attitude.
We all know Brown wasn’t fit and not up to his best, but that game was priceless in terms of what Setanta would have learnt on a player like Brown.

Remains to be seen if that will ever be the case.

At what point can we say, yeah you beat Kouta but he's not fit and at his best. Bucks is another case. Hawks, Pies lose pre-season games and say, yeah but we didn't play our best side........well you're "best" side may never all play together if they continue to have injuries. Saints are a classic example.

This is not a go at you Bexta, just a general comment, that you can only beat the opposition placed in from of you, we did that consistently. So has Setanta.

 

[parrot]

BTW how good is Setanta's spoling technique. Fantastic closing speed, then leaps over his opponent, and punches without the usual back-pushing we see from more experienced fullbacks. This new rule suits Setanta perfectly.

 

[GYNO]

Great read!

Blueboy the toast of Emerald Isle

11 hours, 34 minutes ago | Back
By Catherine Murphy, Exclusive to AFL BigPond Network



News

Here’s how one Irish correspondent captured Carlton’s, and more specifically, Setanta O’hAilpin’s triumph in Saturday night’s NAB Cup Grand Final.
SETANTA O’HAILPIN came out the winner in a St Patrick’s day battle of the Irish recruits as his club Carlton defeated Colm Begley’s Brisbane Lions in the NAB Cup Grand Final.
About 46,000 fans attended Melbourne’s Telstra Dome to see the Blues record a 97 points to 72 victory over the Lions and the Cork man delighted a strong Irish contingent in the crowd by draping himself with the tricolour for his team’s lap of honour.
“I just wanted to show people where I’m from. My heart will always be in Ireland,” said O’hAilpin.
“Without my club na Piarsaigh and Cork, I wouldn’t be playing for Carlton so I just wanted to show them and my country my appreciation.”
In a massive show of faith from Carlton coach Denis Pagan, O’hAilpin was handed the task of marking one of the best forwards in the game, Jonathan Brown.
Brown was returning from injury and there was much speculation during the week about who would mark him in his much-anticipated comeback.
O’hAilpin didn’t disappoint and held the star scoreless for the first three quarters.
“He’s one of the best players in the competition. Just playing on him will enhance my knowledge of the game,” said a modest O’hAilpin.
The 21-year-old’s performance prompted Pagan to single out the Irishman for praise in the post-match press conference.
“From where he has come from, it's just a great story,” said Pagan.
“Four years ago Setanta wouldn't have known what a Sherrin (football) looked like - he could have mistaken it for an Easter egg – and here he is now, in front of 46,000 people, making a strong contribution against one of the best forwards in the competition.”
Pagan said that he expects even more improvement from O'hAilpin in the coming season.
“He is 102kg and 199cm but he is very, very quick. His closing speed is enormous and you just don’t get athletes like that.”
O’hAilpin said he relished the chance to play in a final on St. Patrick’s Day and that lining up against compatriot Colm Begley made the occasion even more special.
“The fact that it’s St Patrick’s Day makes the victory even sweeter,” said O’hAilpin.
“It was great to get to play against Colm. It’s huge for GAA players to come out here and get to play against each other.
“It was just a privilege to see another Irish player out there.”
Despite being disappointed with the result Begley said he couldn’t begrudge O’hAilpin’s victory.
“I’m delighted for Setanta. He’s worked so hard out here to get to where he is and he’s fitting in so well with the team and in his role as full-back,” said Begley.
“This victory means a lot to Carlton and to their fans. I’m delighted that Setanta’s doing so well – it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”
The Laois man also enjoyed the St Patrick’s Day atmosphere.
“All the boys wished me a happy St Patrick’s Day this morning which was good.
“I wanted to wear some green tape on my arm but the AFL would have fined me so I had to do without,” said the Stradbally man.
“Tadhg (Kennelly) rang us both this morning to wish us luck, which was great. It was also good to have a game today as it took my mind off home.
“Obviously with it being St Patrick’s Day you think about home a lot more and what you would be doing if you were there, like meeting up with the lads and going for drinks, but there were no drinks for me today,” joked Begley.
Begley’s time on the field was restricted because of a quad injury.
“I’m carrying a slight injury so they felt it better to take me off. It feels a lot better now so hopefully I should be fine for Round 1 of the league.”
Judging by the performance of the Irish players in the pre-season tournament, 2007 could be a big year for Gaelic recruits in Australia.
Catherine Murphy originally filed this feature for the Irish Sun.