Aussie Rules Recruitment

[Frank Mcguigan]

Rumours circulating around the GAA world that up and coming Offaly talent Graham Guilfoyle is the latest player to be offered a 2 week trial in Austrailia with the view to been offered a permanent contract by the gold coast suns who recently lost out in the battle to sign westmeath prodigy John Heslin. Has anyone else heard anything about this ? Would be a massive loss to the county panal and especially to his club Clara but you cant blame the lad if he wants to take up this once in a lifetime chance to be a professional sportsman.

[Lone Shark]

On a selfish Offaly level, of course it would be a pity to see the lad go, however you could hardly blame anyone for leaving in this environment. Leaving out the prospect of playing professional sport for a living, right now in Ireland there are no prospects for any young lad to find work of any kind, so you couldn't blame anyone for taking up a chance like this were it to arise.

I'm surprised that Guilfoyle would be the type they'd recruit simply because the Aussies tend to go for the mobile big man type, in the vein of Brendan Murphy, Brendan Quigley, Nicholas Walsh, Setanta Ó'hAilpín, Colm Begley, Marty Clarke etc., but if they have come looking for him, then well done to him.

[Bord na Mona man]

The Aussies might be planning to dose him with Angel Dust to bulk him up.

[spearing555]

This rumour has been circulating around our end of the county over the past few weeks and I agree it would be a loss to both the county and his club. He's young and improving all the time, and his ability to carry a ball at pace is second to none in the county at the moment. This could be one of the reasons the Aussies are interested as he has pace to burn, besides the fact that he can be fairly handy in the air and I'm sure he will fill out over the next few years. If the rumours are true I wish every success to the lad and hope he has a successful career.

[RexHamilton]

To be fair lads, the lad is only young! Plenty of time for him to bulk up and who better to aid his development only the Aussies. Guilfoyle has bags of pace and is an excellent fielder of the ball and those are two huge assets in the Australian game. He is by no means the complete footballer but with a good weights programme and proffesional training he could excell down under. He would, of course, be a huge loss to the county team but as has been said already, you really couldn't blame him for taking this opportunity.

[Lone Shark]

He's a young lad certainly, but he's no younger than most footballers who go out to Oz to try their hand at "footie" and indeed he would probably be older than the average. When you see the likes of Cribbin last year and Caolan Mooney this year going at 18, then you can understand allowances for bulking up. The lads taken at 20 years of age tend to be that bit bigger, such as your Begleys and Quigleys for example.

Of course none of this is to say that it can't be done, but when you factor in that they reckoned Setanta needed a year out there to be strong enough, then surely Graham would need a couple at least? It's not like the Aussies to be that patient is all.

One way or another, best of luck to him. Hopefully he does well at whatever sport he's playing this time next year.

[Long John]

Im a bit suprised by this. He is a good ball carrier but outside that I wouldnt say he's an outstanding talent especially when compared to some Minor footballers from other counties.

I dont know if anybody has noticed but his marker does an awful amount of damage any game he plays as he will not track a man. A strange one I have to say.