Tadhg Kennelly believes Croke Park officials and the AFL need to sit down and formulate an agreement on the recruitment process of GAA players by Aussie Rules clubs.
Kennelly was involved in the recruitment of international players between 2012-2017, working for the Australian Football League in identifying potential talent from Ireland, USA, and New Zealand.
Kennelly would organise international combines annually in each region.
However, the former Kerry and Sydney Swans player has concerns over the lack of regulations and safeguards currently in place.
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“It needs to be looked at, there’s lots going on at the moment, there is a lot of stuff that I’m not quite comfortable with around recruiting and what is being done,” says Kennelly.
“I think the GAA and the AFL need to get to the table and actually talk about how it should be done properly.
“That was part of when I was involved in doing it, that I wanted to make it above board and everybody knew what was happening. It seems to have fallen right away and it’s open slather at the moment.”
Kennelly, who still sees the positive life-changing opportunities an AFL career can offer GAA players, feels more rules concerning when exactly players could be approached would be helpful.
“A lot of things that have happened that I don’t quite agree with, there needs to be balance.
“You have stuff happening where young fellas are being contacted at 14, 15, 16 years of age, promised the world, and then not actually being picked up at 18. That’s very disappointing when that happens. So there certainly are things the GAA and AFL can do.”
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