Hurley and Flynn off to Australia.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/international-rules/2013/0807/466819-kildare-pair-set-for-afl-trials-in-australia/

We thought it was coming but it's still a terrible blow. Best of luck to them both, give it your best and don't wimp out after a couple of weeks because you miss your mammy as it's a chance of a lifetime that only comes once.

Best of luck to them.. Of the two I think Dan will be better equipped for the rules but I hope neither of them are and they are home pretty quick.. Big blow for us

hope they do well but to be honest i dont think hurley has the head for it and Flynn to me looked burned out since the U21 semi this year. He needs to be carefully managed in the next 12 months, which i would have doubts about if JTB win the intermediate.

Credit to JTB by the way, what in the name of jesus is in the water down there?

Bad news for Kildare football but a great opportunity for the lads so you got to wish them all the best.

In fairness neither of them will make it over there. If Cribbin wasn't good enough to make it then these two sure won't. Wish them well though.

KeepItReal wrote:

In fairness neither of them will make it over there. If Cribbin wasn't good enough to make it then these two sure won't. Wish them well though.

Cribbin was at one of the most successful clubs in the AFL in Collingwood so his opportunities were always going to be limited. Fremantle would not be as strong.

If Dan Flynn produces the form he showed over the summer for Kildare he will have to have trials for Kildare when he returns from Australia in November.

Hurley well we'll see how having to be a professional athlete will go for him, no doubt he has talent.

It's only trials. Nothing may come of it.

Walter White wrote:

If Dan Flynn produces the form he showed over the summer for Kildare he will have to have trials for Kildare when he returns from Australia in November.

With the exception of Shane Connolly and possibly Paul Cribben and Eoghan O'Flaherty, it's hard to think of any other Kildare player who played as well as they can this summer.

JohnnyC wrote:

With the exception of Shane Connolly and possibly Paul Cribben and Eoghan O'Flaherty, it's hard to think of any other Kildare player who played as well as they can this summer.

Peter Kelly and Hugh McGrillen done well for me. Peter Kelly kept O'Neill scorelss v Tyrone and kept Lennon quiet v Louth.

Hugh McGrillen was good too in my opinion. Other than that you're right.

But When you consider the players who have went down under in the past Tadhg Kennelly, Tommy Walsh, Zac Tuohy, Michael Quinn, Marty Clarke.

These were all stand out players on their county team before departing. The same cannot be said for Flynn or Hurley.

Fremantle are fast becoming an AFL power and are tipped in many circles to go all the way this year. Lyon took over as head coach last year and has had a massive impact. Don't know how Flynn's form towards the latter end of the season could be perceived as having any sort of impact on whether he'd make it or not. They wouldn't be expecting him to be pinging goals, or 50 yard passes when he goes on trial... it would be more endurance runs - the GAA guys always do well in the time trials - speed over the 20-30 yards, standing jumps etc.

And while these are all opinions, as someone who watches a lot of AFL, I would say Daniel Flynn is the prototype for the modern half-back, centre, much more so than Paul Cribbin even. But there are many more factors surrounding whether or not they make it that have nothing to do with speed, athleticism or ability. The distance, homesickness etc. And in terms of the game itself, there's actually being able to kick the ball.

Anyway, they're a long way away from going anywhere just year. Amazing though that one intermediate club in Kildare can produce three lads that talented though.

Pity RTÉ didn't credit where they got their story from, but sure that's another day's work.

And I'm sorry Walter, but Michael Quinn was a standout player for Longford minors before he went. Tadhg Kennelly was a standout player for Kerry minors before he went. Pearce Hanley had played one(possibly two) senior game(s). Zach Tuohy had played a year. Standout players for their counties you couldn't call them at all.

Only Tommy Walsh was, and he was dropped during the championship in 2009 before winning his place back and being named young footballer of the year.

Was this story from you Ogie. If it was I apologise for the Rte link. They really should give you the credit due.

Rex wrote:

Was this story from you Ogie. If it was I apologise for the Rte link.  They really should give you the credit due.

It was Rex but I wasn't having a go at you about it... and I wouldn't expect them to credit me but they should credit the Irish Examiner, where they got the story.

To be fair though, I suppose it has been sort of out there for the past while, without it actually going to print.

Best of luck to them. Big blow for Kildare but a great opportunity for two young lads.

Wish them well personally but they are still only trials.

One thing's for sure, it's either a freak coincidence or there's some phenomenal work going on in JTB : Cribbens *2, Hurley, Flynns*2, McNally, McMonagle...

Is Mc Monagle not Clogherinko ?
Best of luck to the 2 Lads..

Jaysus lads we better not upset the Cloghs...........Cian McM is one of theirs.....however they won't mind me saying that all these lads came through the Balyna academy together......

Apologies to all Cloghs

Great work being done by balyna at underage. Cian Mc, Daniel pyke, Daniel Grehan and Joe Mulraney all playing at county level with the respective age groups. Not just confined to the bridge lads. Sure the two Flynns live alot closer to Clogherinkoe than they do JTB. Anyway back to the topic and best of luck Sean and Daniel on your trails. Great opportunity.

I see Daniel Flynn has officially signed up for 2 years to Adelaide. Best of luck to the lad but being selfish I hope it's only for the 2 years. Will be missed but if and when he does return he should be some athlete, even more so than now.

Yeah wish him the best too.
Hope to see him back at somestage thou.

I wish him all the best.

Interesting that he chose to go to Adelaide instead of Melbourne (I heard there were other clubs interested in him). Adelaide is a boring city with a very small Irish community but that might be good for his football career.

huge loss you could build a team around them lads

Best of luck Daniel. Good article in the Herald(!) today:
KILDARE starlet Daniel Flynn has insisted he's in it for the long haul as Port Adelaide announced they've become the first Aussie Rules club to sign an Irish player from the draft combine.

Flynn was selected by former Sydney Swan and Kerry senior footballer Tadhg Kennelly to participate in the draft after he impressed in trials in Ireland in February. The Power has signed the 20-year-old, who has become their first ever international rookie after he signed a two year contract, until the end of the 2015 season.

"This isn't some two-year improvement plan for Gaelic football, I want to make it out here," Flynn said.

The Gaelic footballer's amazing test results prompted the interest of Port Adelaide with his results featuring in the top five of the 20-metre sprint, 30-metre repeat spring and agility testing.

Flynn gave the credit to Kildare's Julie Davis (their strength and conditioning coach) for his huge improvement.

"I didn't just beat my best times I smashed them and that's all down to the great work that Julie Davis did with Kildare all throughout the year. My time in the 20m sprint improved by 12 or 13 milliseconds which is huge."

Flynn's county team-mate Paul Cribbin spent two seasons with Collingwood before returning home to Kildare but the new signing said his county man didn't influence him either way.

"He was a great help to me before I came here but he wasn't going to push me either way. He didn't want to paint the picture for me, if you know what I mean."

Last year both Derry's Emmett Bradley and Kildare's Seán Hurley participated in the draft combine becoming the first Irish players to do so but neither was signed by an AFL club. Flynn said he spoke to his good friend Hurley before making the trip down under.

"He just said to go for it and give it a good crack. I only found out a month ago that I'd be here so it's not something I could really prepare for.

"My test results are all down to the training with Julie and Kildare," added Flynn.

Jesus I'm glad I read that article, because after all I had read here I thought that Julie Davis was useless at strength and conditioning and had single-handedly ruined the football team by making them slow and ponderous!!!

Delighted for Daniel, he's a really good lad. Heard a radio interview with an Aussie radio station this morning. They're going to have some craic with the accent. Tadhg Kennelly has already told him to slow down. It was funny, he was ending his sentences on a high note like the Aussies do!

Ogie wrote:

Jesus I'm glad I read that article, because after all I had read here I thought that Julie Davis was useless at strength and conditioning and had single-handedly ruined the football team by making them slow and ponderous!!!

I thought the same Ogie. Maybe she had Daniel doing different training than the rest of the lads!