{"id":164186,"date":"2025-11-05T12:17:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T12:17:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/164186\/"},"modified":"2025-11-05T12:17:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T12:17:07","slug":"if-a-young-lad-is-doing-his-leaving-cert-nobody-should-be-ringing-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/164186\/","title":{"rendered":"‘If a young lad is doing his Leaving Cert, nobody should be ringing him’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kerry GAA CEO Peter Twiss insists the county will not take the AFL\u2019s heavy recruitment of footballers in the county \u201clying down\u201d.<\/p>\n

After Austin Stacks starlet Ben Murphy\u2019s deal with the Brisbane Lions was confirmed earlier this week, Twiss has spoken of matching \u201cfire with fire up to a point\u201d and making it as attractive as possible for players to remain here.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn terms of Kerry, we don\u2019t take it lying down,\u201d says Twiss. \u201cAnd we\u2019d be aware of young lads who are being employed, and we\u2019d always maybe try and give them another option, with schools, or college, or whatever. You have to be kind of careful doing that because you have to appreciate him and his family and but you should certainly try to be seen to do something.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can be just complaining, and you\u2019ve got to fight fire with fire up to a point. Now, there\u2019s a limit, obviously. But I think you should never give up the battle. I think it would be important that any player thinking about leaving Kerry should feel that he can come to talk to the chairman, or secretary, and we can maybe look at other options, within reason.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s the message that should go out as well. This idea of doing nothing wouldn\u2019t be Kerry\u2019s way at all. I don\u2019t think it really would have any meaning in the sense of purely financial but of support for education, or something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Twiss would like to see the recruitment process regulated so that teenagers aren\u2019t approached directly especially at a time when they are facing exams. \u201cIt\u2019s an amateur sport, and he\u2019s an amateur player, and his family\u2019s entitled to their privacy. So, we appreciate that. It would be ideal if there was some more of a structured thing because at least then everybody might be aware of what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a young lad is doing his Leaving Cert, nobody should be ringing him. I\u2019m not saying that\u2019s the case, but from what I hear, some people were saying there were phone-calls made while he [Murphy] was doing his exams. Now, that to me would be wrong. I\u2019d call it out. At the same time, a young lad and his family are entitled to make whatever decision they make.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Mark O\u2019Connor, Rob Monahan and Cillian Burke, Murphy is the fourth Kerryman to be signed to an AFL club in 2026. Twiss considers the investment of time and expertise put into Murphy at Stacks and believes the AFL outfits would be agreeable to contributing something to the original clubs of recruited Gaelic footballers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we look at the Austin Stacks Club, and all the work that\u2019s put in now to developing Ben, you would feel that some sense of fair play would say that the club should get something, even if it was a contribution towards their training, or their under-age, Bord na n\u00d3g or Coiste na n\u00d3g. And I\u2019m sure the people over in Australia in the clubs would be more than happy (to do so) if it was put to them in that context.\u201d<\/p>\n

Twiss wishes only the best for Murphy as he attempts to make a career in the AFL. \u201cIt\u2019s disappointing but, first and foremost, we wish him the best, and that\u2019s the important thing. He\u2019s a young lad, and the best of luck to him and his family. And I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll miss him as well over in Australia. So that\u2019s our first priority, that he enjoys and has a good time there.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a young lad. In a way, if he wants to go, he should go because you need to maybe experience it and see where you are. Who knows down the line, he may come back even a better player. But the main thing is that he enjoys himself, he\u2019s safe and he prospers. And we will always welcome him back, if he comes back, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Twiss continues: \u201cYoung lads have to live their lives. They\u2019re top-class sports people. I\u2019m sure if I was a sports person, I\u2019d want to go to Australia as well, so you have to appreciate that. And I always believe that somewhere along the line, they will come back whether it\u2019s Ben, whether it\u2019s Cillian Burke, or whoever, and we\u2019ll be all the better for it then.\u201d<\/p>\n