Three Kildare footballers among eleven Irish to take part in week-long AFL trial
By Peter O’ Dwyer
Eleven Irish players, including three members of the Kildare senior panel, are set to take part in an AFL trial event in London this week.
Known as the ‘Easter Series’, the event gathers players from across Europe to train together for a week before taking on an Australian selection on April 12.
In total, 26 players – aged between 17 and 25 - will take part in the trial. With 11 players, Ireland will provide by far the greatest number of hopefuls.
Among the Irish taking part are brothers Daniel and Luke Flynn, Paddy Brophy and Seán Hurley – all from Kildare. Younger brother Luke is the only player of the quartet yet to line out for the senior footballers.
Hurley has already been heavily linked with a move to the AFL since impressing Fremantle at the AFL Draft Combine last October. Daniel Flynn also has experience of Aussie Rules having spent a short period with Port Adelaide last year, before returning to Ireland.
In addition to the Kildare contingent, players from Mayo, Tyrone, Galway, Kerry, Armagh and Tipperary will also take part in the trial week.
Shehroz Akram from Ballaghadreen, County Mayo is one of two players from that county that will make the journey. Despite being just out of the Mayo U16 set-up, Akram has been described as a “truly outstanding” prospect by senior football captain Andy Moran.
Last year’s minor captain Stephen Coen is the other Mayo hopeful due to take part.
Ciaron O’ Hanlon (Armagh), Pádraig Lucey (Kerry), Colin O’ Riordan (Tipperary), Peter Cooke (Galway) and Conor McKenna (Tyrone) are the other Irishmen involved.
Other nationalities in attendance during the week will be: Danish (six), English (four), Croatian (three), German (one) and Swedish (one).
The European team will be coached by former Kerry and Sydney Swans star Tadgh Kennelly.
“We’re really looking forward to the week,” he said. “Spending time together to train alongside the best young players from Australia is a new and exciting opportunity. It’s going to accelerate their skills and show us who can handle the pressure best, not to mention the time the AFL Club recruiters will get to watch and speak with them,” he added.
“The players will go back to their counties with a better idea of life as a professional athlete and they can share what they’ve learned with their teammates. Long term it all helps to grow the game in Europe,” Kennelly concluded.
