Our young players deserve this chance

LAST Thursday night here in the Telstra Dome, the International rules U17 competition got off to a promising start when Ireland came from 13 points dowm in the last quarter to grab a deserved draw with Australia, 38 points each.

This was the venue for the Ireland-Australia game in the Rugby World Cup a few years ago. Then it was a home from home for Ireland, but this time there were very few Irish in for the game - mainly families of those playing.

With my son Shane involved, it was an opportunity for the rest of my family to go and support. He, along with Pearse Hanley from Mayo, Willie Mulhall from Offaly and Ray Cullivan from Cavan, grabbed valuable scores in that last quarter to level the game.

This trip is a wonderful opportunity for young players to experience a different culture and play against the cream of the young Aussies. Playing, though, is only part of the deal. The amount a young man learns on these trips cannot be taught in geography or life skills classes. Strange, then, that so many counties are either lukewarm or quite hostile to this tour.

If they think there are agents waiting on every street corner to sign up the Irish players, they are wrong. Very few will ever be invited out, even for a trial, so what many counties are doing through a policy based on ignorance is denying their young players the trip of a lifetime.

Shane was offered a chance to come here long before this tour, but he is unlikely to take it up. Gaelic football holds just as much appeal for most young Irish lads and even the success of Tadhg Kennelly won't change the fact that Australia is a long way from home and the ties of family are often much stronger than the appeal of a career in professional sport. Yet no man or organisation should interfere in a player's right to choose.

Incidentally, Tadhg has been injured for a while but is due back this week. The Sydney Swans could do with him after losing their first two games. Setanta Ó hAilpín is making good progress and, but for injury, would already have played in the first two rounds.

The big game of the evening was between St Kilda and Brisbane Lions. Chris Johnson, who was guilty of that reckless tackle last year, was very well behaved. If he did the same in an AFL game he would be heavily fined and suspended, so very few step out of line.

In fact, the game here is very clean and has got more strict this year. Another gentleman, Jason Ackermanis, whose overly aggressive attitude towards Peter Canavan in Croke Park a few years ago also damaged the image of the International Rules series, was in action for the Lions. He, too, was like an altar boy.

By the time you read this, the U17 match in Adelaide should have concluded. The Irish will do well to win. Australia have at least three players over 6'7" and they can play as well. The rest are only about 6'4". There must be some sort of fertilizer in the porridge out here.