The GAA needs Professionals thanks to AFL

 

Since the first All-Ireland in 1887 until today one thing in the GAA Hurling & Football have stayed the same and that is no one gets paid of course throughout the years there has been a few under the table payments but nothing big. It would be hard with 12 teams participate in Hurling and 31 of the 32 counties plus New York and London participate in Football. That would be a lot to start paying players but after seeing the best of the GAA football take it up to the Aussie in the International Rules it makes for the argument that the best of the Irish should get paid.

 

In 2015 Kerry’s Darran O’Sullivan quit his job at the Ulster Bank to focus on his football career O’Sullivan quitting set the stage for player to quit and focus on their Football/ Hurling career without an income and the Pay to Play movement has been happening for years but seeing stars like Zac Toughly and Pearce Hanley star in the AFL and so many other Irish player take the long trip but have no AFL player join the GAA might be the one thing hurting the GAA from being up there with the AFL & NFL large country promotion.

 

Seeing Nathan Fyfe and Dayne Zorko show they have what it takes to play in the GAA and knowing it would bring the Aussie attention to their sport if they could get one should be sitting in the president of the Gaelic Athletic Associations mind imagine Mayo having Nathan Fyfe out their to help end their 9 All Ireland defeats in a row wouldn’t only bring the attention to an Aussie superstar from the Irish media but the Aussie media will also have a filled day with a fill good story but Nathan Fyfe 26 is the captain of the Fremantle Dockers and is signed until 2023 on a multimillion dollar deal something he wouldn’t give up to move to cold Ireland and play for free.

 

The best thing about the GAA is loyalty a Dublin player wouldn’t ever play for Kerry and if you throw money into it that might all change. Look what money is doing for sport all over the world even in AFL. Money is now above premierships in player hearts and it is slowly leading the game to EPL and now NBA territory where the same teams are always at the top.

 

In saying that maybe if the GAA play it smart and pay the players enough to start off with in 20 to 30 years time maybe we will see the 1st €1,000,000 player in the GAA.