One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on July 30, 2009, 10:18:24 AM
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Going by BF the Irish guy that Craig Cameron mentioned about who will be flying over to training with us shortly is Jamie O'Reilly. A 20 year old from County Down who is 6 foot tall, slim build, with a great tank who can run all day.
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=607709
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With GC coming in and then WS all clubs will probably look at all options so why not. Any player who can make it from Ireland is a bonus. At 20 hes the right age, if he does have a big tank and is quick then why not give him a go.
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http://www.irishnews.com/appnews/597/5776/2009/7/29/623716_389021647657O8217Re.html
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http://www.irishnews.com/appnews/597/5776/2009/7/29/623716_389021647657O8217Re.html
Now theres a couple of cool cats in desparate need of some sun.
Time to resurrect the nickname "Ghost "
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Jamie O'Reilly was at today's training session. Slim build isn't an understatement. Similar body type to Collo when he started.
McRae took O'Reilly aside on the wing at Vic Park for a quick kick to kick. He didn't seem to have any trouble getting the hang of kicking with a Sherrin. As he was coming back towards us he saw the boys having shots at goal from tight on the boundary and had a go. First kick at goal straight through the middle. Where do we sign lol.
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Whenever I hear the words "Slim build" I think of David Bourke. :banghead
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Whenever I hear the words "Slim build" I think of David Bourke. :banghead
He's slim but not a stick insect ;D
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Whenever I hear the words "Slim build" I think of David Bourke. :banghead
He's slim but not a stick insect ;D
:rollin
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http://www.irishnews.com/appnews/597/5776/2009/7/29/623716_389021647657O8217Re.html
Now theres a couple of cool cats in desparate need of some sun.
Time to resurrect the nickname "Ghost "
Forget SPF 30+ he's gunna need 300 +
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Jamie O’Reilly and Dan Gordon were back playing again for their club and they both contributed well at times.
O’Reilly was beginning to exert his considerable influence for the Blues. His acceleration and athleticism meant Liatroim conceded a lot of fouls simply trying to stop him.
http://test.downdemocrat.com/tabId/290/itemId/2952/pageId/4/GAA-Liatroim-leave-Island-marooned-at-bottom.aspx
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Mourne County star O’Reilly takes a punt with AFL side Richmond
Friday, July 31, 2009
Down U-21 star Jamie O’Reilly is the latest Irish youngster to be offered a trial at an AFL club, having been flown out by Richmond Tigers last Saturday.
James McCarthy, who played for Dublin U-21s this year, and Cavan minor captain Barry Reilly are trying their hand at Aussie Rules also, as they go on trial with Conor Meredith’s North Melbourne.
O’Reilly was spotted by Richmond scouts during the All-Ireland semi-final defeat of Mayo and travelled down under despite the fact that he will miss Loughlinisland’s first-round championship tie with Warrenpoint on August 8.
"I only found out last week, so it came out of the blue," said Loughlinisland manager Gerard Colgan. "He will be a big loss to us but I can completely understand why he accepted the offer. It could be a once-in-a lifetime opportunity and you sometimes only get one chance."
http://www.examiner.ie/breakingnews/sport/mourne-county-star-oreilly-takes-a-punt-with-afl-side-richmond-420784.html
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By Matt Burgan 5:05 PM Fri 14 August, 2009
Richmond Football Club has signed its first Irish player
RICHMOND has signed County Down's James O'Reilly – the club's first Irish recruit – as an international rookie for the 2010-11 seasons.
The 21-year-old has just completed a three-week trial with the Tigers and will go home for roughly two months before returning to Punt Rd.
With a long summer ahead of him, O'Reilly said he was already relishing the fact he was about to embark on an AFL career.
"It really is [great news]. It was unexpected. I got the call about it about May time this year and it was just totally out of the blue. Actually, I thought at the time it was someone winding me up," O'Reilly told richmondfc.com.au.
"I just took it from there and then they (Richmond) offered me a trial and in the end, when my senior commitment with the Down senior team was over, I came out and took the three-week trial, which has gone fantastically, from start to finish."
He acknowledged it was a feather in his cap to be the first Irish player at Tigerland.
"It is indeed. Other clubs have tried before and Richmond has decided to pursue a recruitment scheme … just to see if they can pick up any extra players. I've been very fortunate enough to be the one they picked and I'm very grateful of that," O'Reilly said.
"Hopefully I can have a lasting impact on the club, rather than that being the only accolade (the first Irish Richmond player). I'd like to be here for a while."
O'Reilly, who has just completed his first senior season with Down, came through the under 18s and under 21s in Ireland. He has also been juggling business management studies in Belfast with his Gaelic Athletic Association career.
He likened his style of play to a half-back/midfielder.
"I'd describe myself as a link-up man, with defence and attack and chipping in with a couple of scores here and there. I'm just generally a running player, really," he said.
Although he wasn't aware of any other AFL clubs' interest in him, he never considered Australian football as an option until Richmond recruiting manager Francis Jackson approached him about trialing with the club.
"Francis Jackson was over with the [player manager] Ricky Nixon [and his recruiting] group in Ireland looking at some Irish players. They happened to be attending the All-Star under-21 final in March time, between us and Armagh," he explained.
"I was fortunate enough to have played quite well in that game and they had the opportunity to watch me again on the weekend following that victory, when we were playing Mayo in the All-Ireland semi-final.
"I played reasonably well again, so he (Jackson) decided that he liked what he had seen and felt that I had some qualities that might swap over from the round-ball game to the oval-ball. I did the fitness test in Ireland and then I came out where we are now."
He said the opportunity to play another sport at the elite level was a driving motivation and so far his brief taste at Punt Rd had been a great experience.
"Everyone at the club has basically become like a member of the family already – everyone has made me feel right at home and couldn't be more welcoming," he said.
"Everyone couldn't do enough for me, so it's made the transition coming over so easy."
The other only AFL-listed Irish player he knows is Collingwood's Marty Clarke, who also played for County Down.
"I never played much [with Clarke], but I was on the 2005 Down minor side that won the All-Ireland that year, when he was running the show basically," he said with a laugh.
Asked if he would have any family following him out to Australia, O'Reilly said "it could be a talking point", but he wouldn't be surprised if one or two of his three brothers (he also has a sister) is tempted to follow his path.
"Ben, the brother just younger than me, he's 19 years of age … and he played on the under-21 team with me this year. I might kick the ball with Ben and try and encourage him," he said.
"Since it's come about, he's shown a lot more interest in AFL and I'm sure if the opportunity came his own way, he'd think similarly to myself – that it would be something he'd have to grab with both hands."
for richmondfc.com.au
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/82750/default.aspx
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Is he the ranga that trains in the whiter jersey?
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I get the feeling this kid will go the way of our nsw scolarship recruit.....
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Down starlet offered AFL contract
Friday, 21 August 2009 17:19
(http://dynimg.rte.ie/000288b7189r.jpg)
Jamie O'Reilly holds off Armagh's Mark McConville during the Ulster U-21 football final
Down Under-21 star Jamie O'Reilly has been offered a contract by AFL side Richmond Tigers.
The Loughlinisland clubman recently had a three-week trial in Australia and is mulling over an offer from the Melbourne club.
O'Reilly told the Irish News: 'I've signed a document that says if I'm going to play AFL for anybody, it will be for Richmond. I haven't signed a contract with them yet, but there is one on the table.
'Ricky Nixon and a couple of recruitment managers watched the Ulster under 21 final. I wasn't on the player list that was invited to Ricky Nixon's camp in Mayo, but they just happened to be at the Ulster under 21 final and I played reasonably well that night and things took off from there.'
'The AFL's pre-season starts in the last week of October, so I've basically 10 weeks to sort things out. If I haven't made my mind up in that time, they will know that I have no intention of going over.'
http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2009/0821/oreillyj.html
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This wasn't on the net so I scanned it in from Sunday's Herald-Sun....
Post not an Irish joke
By Craig Hutchison
Sun 23 Aug 2009, Page S32
RICHMOND is set to unveil its first international recruit, but the announcement has not been without a hiccup or two.
Jamie O'Rielly, a tall, rangy type from County Down, spent three weeks training with the Tigers before heading home last Sunday.
The 21-year-old has agreed to come back as an international rookie for 2010 and '11.
But such was the excitement, a report about O'Rielly's signing landed on the Richmond website.
The problem is the AFL has yet to give the OK for him to join the Tigers.
An interview with the Irishman for the Richmond website was accidentally posted on the site for a few hours.
O'Rielly comes to Australia outside the usual training camps and tests on prospective Irish recruits.
Richmond recruiting manager Francis Jackson saw him play a game of Gaelic football in Ireland in May.
Impressed, Jackson invited the youngster to trial for the Tigers.
Described as a half-back or midfield type, O'Reilly showed great promise in his three-week stint.
O'Rielly is set to return to Australia in about seven weeks.
Donegal player Sean O'Kennedy, described as being in the mould of Tadhg Kennelly, arrives for a trial with Collingwood this week.
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Well welcome to the club Jamie, if you are half as good as Kenelly we will have you!!
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Just wondering, with all the Irish players wanting to head back home, was the Irish experiment a flash in the pan and a waste of time, money and resources?
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Just wondering, with all the Irish players wanting to head back home, was the Irish experiment a flash in the pan and a waste of time, money and resources?
I think so. I don't know whether it is a waste of time and money or not though. The AFL is cash-rich at the moment and its only weakness against other codes is its lack of an international aspect.
In recent history only Kennelly has succeeded. There's probably 8 or 9 who have failed completely. There are blokes who miss the draft and rookie lists who are far more qualified to play AFL football. That said not a bad working holiday for those lads.
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Jake, Depending on how you term recent history, you can't forget Stynes and White from Melbourne who were the pioneers and had long footy careers with the Dee's.
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Jake, Depending on how you term recent history, you can't forget Stynes and White from Melbourne who were the pioneers and had long footy careers with the Dee's.
Yeah mate I was thinking post Stynes, Wight.
I know blokes like Begley seem to get a second chance on an AFL list where perhaps a local kid might not.
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Marty Clarke did alright.
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Marty Clarke did alright.
Yeah but he is one of the Irish players who headed home prematurely.
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Any news if our boy has arrived in Melbourne in readiness for the start of preseason training next week?
The Saints have signed up Tom Walsh (194cm, 99kg) who was the GAA's young player of the year.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/gaelic-star-tommy-walsh-signs-with-st-kilda/story-e6frf9jf-1225788522154
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Any news if our boy has arrived in Melbourne in readiness for the start of preseason training next week?
The Saints have signed up Tom Walsh (194cm, 99kg) who was the GAA's young player of the year.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/gaelic-star-tommy-walsh-signs-with-st-kilda/story-e6frf9jf-1225788522154
Next week eh OE, so will we be getting a report from you or MT.... :thumbsup
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Not sure if he's signed the contract yet
I think he had until Oct 31st to decide
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Next week eh OE, so will we be getting a report from you or MT.... :thumbsup
If I can find out where we are training ;).
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They see one game & wanna draft him lol.
beef him up & teach him how to adapt to our game & dont play him for at least 2 years unless his something special
David Bourke recarnation ;D
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Down star for Aussie move
by tony_cuddihy , 21 October 2009
Down star Jamie O'Reilly is reportedly on the verge of tying up a deal with top Australian Rules Football side Richmond Tigers.
O'Reilly met up with player agent Ricky Nixon at his Loughlinisland club last week and is seemingly on the brink of move Down Under.
"Although I haven't put pen to paper, after speaking with Ricky tonight, I will sign for Richmond," O'Reilly admitted.
"It's almost a done deal. I just need to get my university arrangements sorted out there.
"I had a chat with James (McCartan)and he was very supportive about my move and said that I would be welcome back into the Down fold at any time in the future."
Also reportedly heading to the southern hemisphere for a three-week trial is Antrim player Tomas McCann.
http://www.setanta.com/uk/Articles/other-sports/2009/10/21/Down-star-for-Aussie-move/gnid-58986/
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Some good news at last.
Ironic he plays for Down though. ;D
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Richmond have signed their first Irish recruit, James O’Reilly and he will join the squad at Punt road for preseason training in November on a 2 year deal. O’Reilly was spotted by Richmond scouts while helping his native County Down’s U-21 side defeat Mayo in the All-Ireland semi-final.
http://www.worldfootynews.com/article.php/20091022045240369
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"top Australian rules football side Richmond tigers"
Our reputation overseas is better than the one we have at home.
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Ricky Nixon said we've signed up O'Reilly.
Nixon also announced Richmond has signed up a new Irish youngster.
"Just been lucky enough to sign up probably the best kid in Ireland, but also a kid named Jamie O'Reilly who's going to be a really interesting player for Richmond."
"He's absolutely lightning quick, fantastic skills, he's set the world on fire over here (Ireland) as well."
http://www.sportsentral.com/pro/main/storyreader.aspx?sid=18730&sr=all
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Tomas McCann also due to have a three-week trial with the Tigers.
Donegal's Michael Murphy is also jetting Down Under for a trial, with Brisbane, Geelong, North Melbourne, Richmond and St Kilda all interested in his services.
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O'Reilly signs two-year AFL deal
BBC Sport
Down youngster Jamie O'Reilly is travelling to Australia on Thursday after agreeing a two-year deal with AFL club Richmond Tigers.
O'Reilly caught the attention of the Tigers when helping Down to reach this year's All-Ireland Under-21 final.
The Loughin island club-man then underwent a three-week trial with the club during the summer.
Antrim player Tomas McCann is also heading to Australia to undergo a three-week trial with the Tigers.
O'Reilly will undergo seven weeks of pre-season training in Australia and after returning home for the Christmas break, will then head back Down Under.
McCann helped Antrim reach this year's Ulster Football Final and he has been attracting interest from AFL clubs for more than a year.
O'Reilly's switch to AFL comes after his fellow countyman Martin Clarke's decision to return to Ireland after a three-year stint with Collingwood.
Other players, including Armagh lad Kevin Dyas, have also opted to cut short their AFL adventures but Kerry star Tommy Walsh was a recent high-profile capture by St Kilda.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/8331452.stm
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O'Reilly latest in AFL exodus
Irish News
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Down's Jamie O'Reilly has signed a two-year contract with AFL side Richmond Tigers, but admits the move is a risk.
The Loughinisland club-man underwent a three-week trial with the club during the summer, while Antrim player Tomas McCann is also heading out for a trial.
O'Reilly will undergo seven weeks of pre-season training in Australia and after returning home for Christmas, will then head back Down Under.
He told The Irish News: 'As a young person, it's too good an opportunity to pass up.
'As well as that I could finish my degree in Business Management at Queen's and get a 2:1, but there is no guarantee of a job.
'I could spend the next year on the dole and ho hopes of a job. This way I can do something that I enjoy and get paid for it at the same time and get a lot of life skills out of it.
'The idea of getting paid to play sport for a living obviously appeals to me, but the challenge of it appeals to me too.
'There's definitely an element of risk involved. It may not work out, but it's a challenge.
'And the fact that someone actively sought me out and believes I have something to offer was flattering too.'
http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2009/1029/oreillyj.html
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All the best to him. Welcome to Tigerland Jamie :cheers
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Good luck to Jamie O'Reilly + Tomas McCann :cheers
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Here's some youtube footage of Thomas McCann who will be trialling with us.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hj0jLY4byY&feature=player_embedded (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Hj0jLY4byY&feature=player_embedded)
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McCann has decent speed
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They both flew out of Ireland on Thursday. So they should be in Melbourne by now.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/down-star-orsquoreilly-goes-to-australia-14545766.html
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O'Reilly is defintely here .....
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O'Reilly is defintely here .....
To be sure to be sure WP :thumbsup
Do you know WP if he will be training this week or will they give him another week to get settled in and over the jetlag?
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O'Reilly is defintely here .....
To be sure to be sure WP :thumbsup
Do you know WP if he will be training this week or will they give him another week to get settled in and over the jetlag?
Should be around the club this week - whether that includes full training who knows
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McCann has decent speed
yep, good turn of foot...still, I would be looking at Talls with the irish experiment rather than mids that pretty well grow on trees
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Wouldn't say no to another Jimmy Stynes as a ruckman though if there's one out there.
Should be around the club this week - whether that includes full training who knows
Ta WP.
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Both Irish boys O'Reilly and McCann trained with the main squad today. Skills with the oval ball looked fairly decent for newcomers to the code. McCann is small. He's shorter than Nahas :o.
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McCann is small. He's shorter than Nahas
:gobdrop
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Tomas McCann and Jamie O'Reilly are the two on the left in this pic
http://oneeyed-richmond.com/images/team/training_041109/pic12.jpg (http://oneeyed-richmond.com/images/team/training_041109/pic12.jpg)
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Tomas McCann and Jamie O'Reilly are the two on the left in this pic
http://oneeyed-richmond.com/images/team/training_041109/pic12.jpg (http://oneeyed-richmond.com/images/team/training_041109/pic12.jpg)
Like the look of McCann but in the youtube video I noticed he was called Peter McCann, sup with that.
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McCann turns down Richmond offer
RTE Sport
Wednesday, 25 November 2009 11:04
Thomas McCann has turned down a one-year contract offer from AFL club Richmond Tigers.
The Antrim starlet was hoping to secure a two-year international rookie contract and feels the reduced terms of the one-year deal don't make the move worthwhile.
McCann told The Star: 'They were looking to keep me on for the year and practice skills and sign on next year.
'It's not the same sort of money (compared to an International Rookie contract). I wasn't going to stay unless I could live comfortably for the first couple of years.
'They said I could practice the skills and stuff, but I thought there was no point. I'd rather come home and play GAA. Next year I don't know if I'll do it. I'll take the year to think about it.'
AFL agent Ricky Nixon says the club will look at him again next year.
http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2009/1125/mccannt.html
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AFL agent Ricky Nixon says the club will look at him again next year.
If he's going home to play Gaelic football then he'll be basically in the same position skill-wise in a year's time. The odds were against McCann making it anyway as he was very short.
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Tomas McCann and Jamie O'Reilly are the two on the left in this pic
http://oneeyed-richmond.com/images/team/training_041109/pic12.jpg (http://oneeyed-richmond.com/images/team/training_041109/pic12.jpg)
Like the look of McCann but in the youtube video I noticed he was called Peter McCann, sup with that.
Peter is his older brother I believe. He is a good Gaelic footballer in his own right. Too old to be of interest to us.
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Aussie Rules side Richmond not set to add to Irish recruit
By Catherine Murphy
Herald, Ireland.
Thursday November 26 2009
RICHMOND recruitment manager Francis Jackson has insisted that the Tigers will not sign a second Irish player despite Antrim's Thomas McCann spending three weeks at the club and Mayo's Aidan O'Shea due to trial at Punt Road next week.
While McCann paid for his own flights in a bid to impress with the Aussie Rules club and was not offered a contract, DCU student O'Shea's trial is part of an organised visit incorporating a stint with the Western Bulldogs this week.
Richmond signed their first ever Irish recruit, Down's Jamie O'Reilly, this year having been involved in Ricky Nixon's recruitment network for the second year running.
When asked if there was any chance that the Melbourne based club could sign a second Irish man, Jackson was steadfast.
"No, not this year," he said.
Even if O'Shea was to make a massive impact during next week's trial, the December 2 deadline which looms only days into his stay at Richmond all but rules him out of contention at the Tigers due to time constraints.
IMPRESSING
O'Shea has assured Mayo manager John O'Mahony that he will be available for GAA duties next season (Mayo begin their NFL campaign at home against Galway)but is reported to be impressing during a trial at the Western Bulldogs. The Bulldogs have never before signed an Irish player.
In the meantime the Tigers are impressed with their recent Irish signing Jamie O'Reilly, even if the Down younster is depleting the club's sun screen stocks fast!
"We just cover him in sunscreen all the time," Jackson quipped when asked how you help an Irish recruit dealing with soaring temperatures in the Victorian city.
"He's settling in well but it has been very hot, up to 35 degrees. We're due some rain today though so he should feel right at home."
http://www.herald.ie/sport/gaelic-football/aussie-rules-side-richmond-not-set-to-add-to-irish-recruit-1954130.html
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Reluctant Irish
By Craig Hutchison
Sunday Herald-Sun 29 Nov 2009, Page S20
THE Western Bulldogs and Richmond are poised to make a play for outstanding young Irish prospect Aiden O'Shea, despite the 19-year-old's reluctance to make a home in Australia.
O'Shea is trialling with the Bulldogs, but has told his County Mayo manager he will return to Ireland for the next Gaelic Athletic Association season once the trial is over.
Before he left Ireland, O'Shea told reporters he had promised to return to Ireland.
``I have committed to Mayo for the next year and I've spoken to (manager) John O'Mahony on it,'' he said.
Another Irishman, Thomas McCann, has reportedly rejected an Australian offer.
McCann, 22, took part in a three-week trial with Richmond.
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It's fair enough that we won't sign a second irish recruit this year. apart from the fact that we would have only trialled him a short amount of time by the time list lodgement comes, he is commited to his irish county for next year, which is fair enough. Also, there is little point getting 2 irish recruits in the one year.
I'm hoping he comes down next year though. Despite knowing nothing about him before this morning, google revealed that he's one of the young stars of gaelic football, he's got good skills and he's 6ft4, therefore not a small running mid like o'reilly.
Hope we can impress him when he trials and trump western bulldogs next year if he does decide to come down. I reckon having o'reilly here already gives us a slight advantage as well.
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Jamie is now officially with us :).
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2009 Rookie Draft - Jamie O'Reilly (Pick 70)
richmondfc.com.au
(http://www.richmondfc.com.au/portals/0/richmond_docs/jamie%20web.jpg)
DOB: 28/04/88
HT: 183.5cm
Wt: 78kg
Club: Loughinisland, Ireland
County: Down, Ireland
Video: http://bigpondvideo.com/AFL/230266
As part of Rick Nixon’s Irish Recruiting Program, Richmond Recruiting Manager Francis Jackson visited Ireland in April. After viewing some impressive prospective talent at the camp, Jackson then turned his focus to some Gaelic games before his expedition ended. On a cold, wet and windy night in Belfast, Jackson saw O’Reilly playing for County Down against County Armagh. Impressed by O’Reilly’s game smarts as well as his athletic ability, he then viewed O’Reilly a week later and was convinced he should be invited for a trial at the club in Australia.
Jamie impressed in a 3 week stint with the club in July and was offered a 2 year International Rookie Contract. Since arriving for the start of preseason, O’Reilly has impressed the fitness staff with his ability to run while he has worked closely with development coach Tim Clarke on the facets of AFL football. His attention to detail in his approach to his AFL career has been outstanding and while he is still learning the intricacies of the modern AFL game, Jamie has participated in the majority of the drills with his team mates. With his ability to run and carry the footy, Jamie will look to be developed as a midfielder and rebounding defender.
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/Season2010/2009RookieDraft/JamieOReilly/tabid/15516/Default.aspx
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Tigers snare Irish recruit
richmondfc.com.au
By Matt Burgan | Tue 15 December, 2009
RICHMOND has signed County Down's Jamie O'Reilly - the club's first Irish recruit - as an international rookie for the 2010-11 seasons.
The 21-year-old was snapped up by the Tigers in the 2009 AFL Rookie Draft and is already relishing the fact he is about to embark on an AFL career.
"It really is [great news]. It was unexpected. I got the call about it about May time this year and it was just totally out of the blue. Actually I thought at the time it was someone winding me up," O'Reilly told richmondfc.com.au.
"I just took it from there and then they (Richmond) offered me a trial and in the end, when my senior commitment with the Down senior team was over, I came out and took a three-week trial, which has gone fantastically, from start to finish."
He acknowledged it was a feather in his cap being the first Irish player at Tigerland.
"It is indeed. Other clubs have tried before and Richmond has decided to pursue a recruitment scheme … just to see if they can pick up any extra players. I've been very fortunate enough to be the one they picked and I'm very grateful of that," O'Reilly said.
"Hopefully I can have a lasting impact on the club, rather than that being the only accolade I have - being the first Richmond player. I'd like to be here for a while."
O'Reilly, who completed his first senior season with Down earlier this year, came through the under 18s and under 21s in Ireland. He likened his style of play to a half-back/midfielder.
"I'd describe myself as a link-up man, with defence and attack and chipping in with a couple of scores here and there. I'm just generally a running player, really," he said.
Although he wasn't aware of any other AFL clubs' interest in him, he never considered Australian Football as an option, until Richmond recruiting manager Francis Jackson approached him about trailing with the club.
"Francis Jackson was over with the [player manager] Ricky Nixon [and his recruiting] group in Ireland looking at some Irish players. They happened to be attending the All-Star under-21 final in March time, between us and Armagh," he explained.
"I was fortunate enough to have played quite well in that game and they had the opportunity to watch me again on the weekend following that victory, when we were playing Mayo in the All-Ireland semi-final.
"I played reasonably well again, so he (Jackson) decided that he liked what he had seen and felt that I had some qualities that might swap over from the round-ball game to the oval-ball. I did the fitness test in Ireland and then I came out where we are now."
From there, the opportunity to play another sport at the elite level was a driving motivation. He also said the "juggling act" of studying business management in Belfast and playing at the top level in the Gaelic Athletic Association was difficult to combine.
And so far, his stint at Punt Rd has been a great experience.
"Everyone at the club has basically become like a member of the family already - everyone has made me feel right at home and couldn't be more welcoming," he said.
"Everyone couldn't do enough for me, so it's made the transition coming over so easy."
The other only AFL-listed Irish player he knows is Collingwood's Marty Clarke, who also played for County Down. Although he will "definitely" seek out past and present Irishmen with AFL experience.
"I never played much [with Clarke], but I was on the 2005 Down minor side that won the All-Ireland that year, when he was running the show basically," he said with a laugh.
Asked if he would have any family following him out to Australia, O'Reilly said "it could be a talking point". But he wouldn't be surprised if one or two of his three brothers (he also has a sister) is tempted to follow his path.
"Ben, the brother just younger than me, he's 19 years of age … and he played on the under-21 team with me this year. I might kick the ball with Ben and try and encourage him," he said.
"Since it's come about, he's shown a lot more interest in AFL and I'm sure if the opportunity came his own way, he'd think similarly to myself - that it would be something he'd have to grab with both hands."
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/88161/default.aspx
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Is O'Reilly a left or right footer. In the highlights video someone posted he kicks right foot at Richmond training. In the Gaelic game at the end of the big pond video he kicks left it seems. Maybe I was watching the wrong player but he seem to kick with his left 3 or 4 times as well as his right.
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Is O'Reilly a left or right footer. In the highlights video someone posted he kicks right foot at Richmond training. In the Gaelic game at the end of the big pond video he kicks left it seems. Maybe I was watching the wrong player but he seem to kick with his left 3 or 4 times as well as his right.
He plays of both feet at home, and is very good of either with the gaelic ball. Will be interesting if he can adapt to the oval ball with both. May be a bit naive on my behalf, but do many AFL players use both feet when kicking?
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Is O'Reilly a left or right footer. In the highlights video someone posted he kicks right foot at Richmond training. In the Gaelic game at the end of the big pond video he kicks left it seems. Maybe I was watching the wrong player but he seem to kick with his left 3 or 4 times as well as his right.
He plays of both feet at home, and is very good of either with the gaelic ball. Will be interesting if he can adapt to the oval ball with both. May be a bit naive on my behalf, but do many AFL players use both feet when kicking?
Not at the same time
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He plays of both feet at home, and is very good of either with the gaelic ball. Will be interesting if he can adapt to the oval ball with both. May be a bit naive on my behalf, but do many AFL players use both feet when kicking?
Welcome to OER dtr :). May I ask if you are from the Emerald Isle?
Being able to kick with both feet is becoming more and more a necessary skillset in AFL so you don't end up needing to do big u-turns if caught on your wrong side but there are still a number of AFL players who stick to using their dominant foot. I think in time young players will need to be dual sided to make it into the AFL. At the draft camp for U18's they now have a kicking test for both feet. Richmond's first pick in the draft just gone Dustin Martin was one of the best at the test on both sides of the body. An ex-Tiger from 10 years ago named Leon Cameron was so good kicking with both feet it was hard to know which one was his natural dominant side.
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The life of O'Reilly
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen
4:12 PM Fri 30 July, 2010
LOVING footy is something most of us do - Saturday afternoon at the MCG can be the highlight of the week.
But would you travel halfway around the world, away from kith and kin, to be part of it?
As another Gaelic football export who has moved from Ireland to try his hand at AFL, Jamie O’Reilly has done just that.
O’Reilly came to the Tigers’ attention early last season when recruiting manager Francis Jackson spotted him on a scouting trip to the Emerald Isle, and invited him to Punt Road for a trial.
Keeping a ball in your hands, all day, every day - Ben Cousins-style - was clearly helping to develop familiarity with the new shape, and a couple of Sherrins departed for Ireland with O’Reilly after the three weeks.
That investment paid off when he was offered a two-year international rookie contract by the club at the end of 2009.
The 22-year-old has put a commerce degree course on hold as he pursues his AFL dream.
“I’m really loving it,” he told richmondfc.com.au.
“It’s everything that I expected it would be, living the professional lifestyle. At home I had a part-time job, was studying full-time and had football five or six nights a week for all different teams.
“So it’s good to be able to concentrate all of my energy on one thing.
“The coaching staff and all our players having faith in me during game is a lot of help in terms of my own motivation and just being comfortable in this environment, whereas if you felt that people didn’t have confidence in you to hit the kick or make the handball or make the tackle, it would make things a lot more difficult.”
O’Reilly said while the transition to AFL was difficult in some aspects, the fact that he was coming from a game that required 360-degree awareness helped enormously.
However, he struggled initially with the pace and length of the game, finding it difficult to adapt to the stop-start nature of the play.
Listed in the AFL media guide as 185cm and 80kg - although he has put on significant muscle since moving into the system - and coming from Gaelic football, it’s not surprising that he’s being groomed as a running half-back.
He’s picked some good role models, forensically dissecting their tapes and watching them live whenever he can.
“I watch a few different players who I watch - obviously Tadhg Kennelly, because I play a similar position, and he’s come a similar route to the game as I have - Lindsay Gilbee and Jarrod Harbrow from the Bulldogs, and Heath Shaw of Collingwood.
“They’re all hard-running gut-runners who use the ball well and are really directional, always calling to teammates where to get the ball, and reading the play.
“Their game’s all about reading the play and anticipation, which are some of my strengths that I can implement here to make me a good player.”
Tim Clarke, who played 96 games for the Hawks and is now a development coach at Richmond, said the Irishman had been elevated from the rookie list - and thus be on the verge of selection - because of his huge work ethic and desire to learn.
"He’s worked tirelessly with myself, with Dave (Newett, Coburg coach) and with the other coaches - he’s one of those guys who annoys the hell out of the coaches,” he said with a laugh.
“He’s just constantly asking how he can improve, and constantly putting himself in a position to learn, and he’s just applied himself.
“His football knowledge has improved a lot since he started watching games of footy. He watches a lot of games on the computer, he downloads games and watches certain players, he goes over and watches games at the MCG with staff here, and really tries to get his head around how opposition players play.”
But, AFL game this year or not, O’Reilly is in love with football, and he’s clearly in touch with the ‘team defence’ aspect of the game.
“You get enjoyment out of different things in a lot of different ways - making a really strong tackle and putting them to the ground and getting holding the ball, because it can inspire the team,” he said.
“And coaches like seeing players who work hard defensively, and I get enjoyment out of someone else making a tackle.
“And I enjoy the kicking and handballing aspect of it, whenever you hit a really incisive kick that opens the defence up. Because of my background I’m a run-and-carry player so I enjoy breaking the lines and really taking a burst forward.”
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/99335/default.aspx
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Draft his brother next season
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Debut excites 22-year-old Irish Richmond defender Jamie O'Reilly
Jon Ralph
Herald Sun
August 12, 2010
RICHMOND will this weekend blood its 10th player of the year, with 22-year-old Irish defender Jamie O'Reilly to make his debut against arch rival Carlton.
O'Reilly has stunned the Richmond coaching panel with his ability to pick up the code in the first year of a two-season international rookie contract.
He will slot in on the halfback line on Saturday at the MCG, a year after he watched his first AFL game during a three-week trial with Richmond in Round 20 last August.
Remarkably, O'Reilly has followed AFL football for a decade and was an Essendon supporter and owned a Bombers guernsey.
But after playing the first two matches of the season with Coburg's reserves, he has earned a game on merit in the young Richmond line-up.
Tigers coach Damien Hardwick told him of his elevation on Tuesday afternoon, and he cannot wait to take on Carlton.
"I just have a picture in my head of what Round 1 was like," he told the Herald Sun.
"Maybe Round 1 is bigger than Round 20, but Carlton have a lot to play for, as do we. So there will be Juddy and Cuzzy and me stuck in the middle of the ground not knowing where I am, but I am looking forward to it."
Richmond recruiter Francis Jackson spotted O'Reilly playing for County Down in March last year in an under-21 representative game and liked what he saw.
After he starred the following week in the All-Ireland semi-final, Jackson had seen enough to offer him a trial.
"I was driving to uni one morning and I had a phone call with these weird digits, which was an international call and I assumed it was a wind-up when they wanted me to come out because my cousin was in Melbourne at the time," he said.
"I was excited, but was still thinking I shouldn't get too carried away.
"So when Francis sent me an email with the club crest, I thought, 'This is finally real'."
The club is flying out his parents Mark and Hilary from Belfast, with brother Ben having successfully put back flights home after spending the past two months in Melbourne.
Now after spending the year playing in front of a few hundred spectators for Coburg, he has hit the big time.
"I was here in Round 20 last year watching Richmond play Collingwood and was sitting with all the other development players," he said.
"A year on I am in the team playing Carlton at the MCG.
"It's been an incredible journey."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/debut-excites-22-year-old-irish-richmond-defender-jamie-oreilly/story-e6frf9jf-1225904149916
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Well done Jamie, for those who dont know him he is a fantastic guy.
His willingness to learn and his competitive spirit are fantastic. His disposal is pretty good and he loves to take people on. Could become a very handy player over the next few years.
Doesnt take a backward step either :thumbsup
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Congrats and good luck to Jamie :clapping
Good to see Dimma and the match committee giving more young guys a go in the last few rounds :thumbsup.
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Wishing him good luck for a long and successful career at Richmond
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Good on ya Jamie
Terrific young fella who deserves this
Can he replace Connors please :pray :pray
:rollin
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Good on ya Jamie
Terrific young fella who deserves this
Can he replace Connors please :pray :pray
:rollin
I've been watching you comments about Connors WP and I am becoming quite confused. You seem to be watching a different player to me. It's almost as if there's something personal going on here.
I normally ignore these sort of things but I'm interested because you are a poster I respect and the Connors thing comes up a lot and often unprompted.
I'll put a disclaimer on the bottom - I'm a fan of Connors and enjoy watching him play.
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Oops. I've gone off topic.
Well done Jamie. Looking forward to watching you play. :thumbsup
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I've been watching you comments about Connors WP and I am becoming quite confused. You seem to be watching a different player to me. It's almost as if there's something personal going on here.
Me too. Fess up WP?
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It's amazing how many debutants we have had this year. Hardwick and the admin are really trying to give themselves a good look at the list as a whole and focus on development at all costs. This is the first time we have done this is over a decade. Now if we can just see Gourdis and even Grimes I would be over the moon :cheers
Well done O'Rielly and I hope you become a solid part of our defence for the next decade! :thumbsup
Stripes
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Lets hope he is better than Quinn from the Bumbers :pray
He looked quite poised and had good disposal in one of the games I watched of the VFL.
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I saw Quinn make his debut and he looked pretty good. Just shows you cant make a judgment on one one game alone.
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Confirmed by the club...
Irish recruit to debut
richmondfc.com.au
Thu 12 August, 2010
Irish recruit Jamie O’Reilly will become the 10th Richmond first-gamer of the 2010 season after getting the nod to make his debut against Carlton on Saturday.
The 22-year-old, who was plucked from Gaelic football and selected by the Tigers at the end of 2009, was recently promoted from the Rookie List.
It has been a meteoric rise to the top level for the athletic, running half-back, who has been able to reach peak fitness, while learning the intricacies of the game.
He began the 2010 season in the Coburg reserves, before being elevated to the seniors in Round 3.
He quickly adapted to the increased speed of the game, and over 14 appearances at VFL senior level, proved to the Richmond coaching staff he was ready for his chance at the highest level.
O’Reilly said he was thrilled with his decision to venture down under and give Aussie Rules a shot.
“I’m really loving it,” he said.
“It’s everything that I expected it would be, living the professional lifestyle. At home I had a part-time job, was studying full-time and had football five or six nights a week for all different teams.
“So it’s good to be able to concentrate all of my energy on one thing.
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/100163/default.aspx
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Dimma talking about O'Reilly at training today...
O’Reilly’s debut has been fast-tracked after impressive performances for VFL side Coburg.
Hardwick said he had surpassed all expectations Richmond had set for him.
“He’s got exceptional speed, he’s got a good kick for an Irishman. But we think he’s going to be a very good player,” he said.
“If you were to ask me at the start of the year whether he’d be playing senior AFL footy I would have thought you were kidding yourself, but he works as hard as anyone on our list.
"To his credit that is why he is getting a game. His improvement has been astronomical.”
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/100182/default.aspx
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Good luck Jimmy O' Reilly.
Anyone in the grog squad thought of a great tune to sing when this bloke rips Carlton a new one?
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Good on ya Jamie
Terrific young fella who deserves this
Can he replace Connors please :pray :pray
:rollin
Everyone has their own version of WP's Conners'. For me it is Rance, seems to have condom fingers.....
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Good on ya Jamie
Terrific young fella who deserves this
Can he replace Connors please :pray :pray
:rollin
Everyone has their own version of WP's Conners'. For me it is Rance, seems to have condom fingers.....
He has safe hands?
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Can he replace Connors please :pray :pray
:rollin
amen
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Good on ya Jamie
Terrific young fella who deserves this
Can he replace Connors please :pray :pray
:rollin
Everyone has their own version of WP's Conners'. For me it is Rance, seems to have condom fingers.....
He has safe hands?
:lol
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Good on ya Jamie
Terrific young fella who deserves this
Can he replace Connors please :pray :pray
:rollin
Everyone has their own version of WP's Conners'. For me it is Rance, seems to have condom fingers.....
He has safe hands?
Quite the opposite :lol
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I've been watching you comments about Connors WP and I am becoming quite confused. You seem to be watching a different player to me. It's almost as if there's something personal going on here.
I normally ignore these sort of things but I'm interested because you are a poster I respect and the Connors thing comes up a lot and often unprompted.
I'll put a disclaimer on the bottom - I'm a fan of Connors and enjoy watching him play.
I haven't hidden the fact that I am not a Connors fan. Is it a personal thing? No
As I have explained previously I think Dan Connors has all the talent in the world therefore his ability isn't the issue for me. I think he is very fortunate to still be on the RFC list after his continual stuff up since he's been the Club.
The main issue I have is about he goes about things on the field. IMHO he can be a very selfish footballer and it gets up my goat.
When Dan plays TEAM ORIENTATED footy he is very good. The problem is every game without fail there is the non-team stuff that undoes his good things. When the Dimma mantra is TEAM FIRST then I expect a bloke who was given a reprieve by Dimma to do it the Dimma way
Here's a couple of examples -
Last week against Melb (2nd qtr IIRC) in the Melb F50 he received a handball and his team-mate kept running to receive a handball back. What did Dan do? Handball it over the top and keep runnng himself? Nah Dan decided to try and baulk around the Melb guy and got pinged. This wasn't team first footy. This was selfish
Against Freo who could forget his squib kick of 15 metres that resulted in a turnover in the final qtr? It was a costly mistake that could have cost us the game. It was not only a poor skill execution but a poor decision again IMHO it bordered on a selfish act
Watch the tape of the Sydney game and you will see him chose poor options because he seemed intent on having to show us all the big wind-up and 50m long kick when 30m pass to a team mate free was the team thing to do
I think the past few weeks the bad habits have really started to creep back into his game. I believe that this has been caused in part by his lack of fitenss which I find staggering when you consider he did a full pre-season.
If he sticks to playing team footy he'll win me over but until he does it consistently I don't enjoy watching him at all
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To be fair it was only his first full preseason as the others have been injury affected and he's still only played 21 games of AFL football
He shouldn't be expected to have a tank able to run out a full season of AFL just yet
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Fantastic news.
Good luck to the Irish Tiger.
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What a day to play your first AFL game the poor guy :(
What did we all think of the Irishman on debut?
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To be fair it was only his first full preseason as the others have been injury affected and he's still only played 21 games of AFL football
He shouldn't be expected to have a tank able to run out a full season of AFL just yet
he shouldnt be blowing up like he does, shocking conditioning. He had 8 weeks off where he could have done much to get his fitness up. Hes lazy.
Thought the irish kid looked pretty damn good for his first game!
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Thought O'Reilly did OK. Got the impression that Carlton tried to test him out physically and he seemed to pass.
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Shame a lot of the others didnt
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was a bit stop and start , but hey, his first game, with a bit of confidence Im sure we'll see some run in his game, was pretty confident in his won ability to short pass . handled the ball well, clearly he is good material to work with having come this far in a short time, looking forward to see how he turns out following next pre season
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I thought he really struggled with the pace of the game but on the whole he deserves to play next week
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I thought he got more into the game today. Looks fairly composed for a new recruit from a different code.
Lot of development to do on this kid but doesn't look too bad.
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Kicking looks neat and can get the ball and make smart decisions. Credit to the development team.
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Impressed by his kicking skills
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for a player new to the game i was and am most impressed with his decision making. Still very early but just get he feeling hes one of those types that understands their limitations. Once a player does they can be moulded to play a role easily.
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Huge credit to the development team, a great example of teaching a player how to kick "post" draft,
They don't get much plaudits but this looks to be a good win by the development staff.
Amazing what happens when you have them at your club lol.
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Yet after one game some were saying he was out of his depth and should be dropped immediately
Fools!
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Yet after one game some were saying he was out of his depth and should be dropped immediately
Fools!
8 kicks 8 handballs, hardly match winning stuff.
some here are easy pleased, although he was better than last week.
Gave away a stupid free kick which gave them a goal and didnt have enough brains to get back on the mark.
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Yet after one game some were saying he was out of his depth and should be dropped immediately
Fools!
8 kicks 8 handballs, hardly match winning stuff.
some here are easy pleased, although he was better than last week.
Gave away a stupid free kick which gave them a goal and didnt have enough brains to get back on the mark.
Where did I say he put together a match winning performance?
Simply pointing out how stupid it is to write off a player after one game where he was overawed by the step up
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Yet after one game some were saying he was out of his depth and should be dropped immediately
Fools!
8 kicks 8 handballs, hardly match winning stuff.
some here are easy pleased, although he was better than last week.
Gave away a stupid free kick which gave them a goal and didnt have enough brains to get back on the mark.
16 possies in second AFL game is not a bad effort.
Here is something easy for you Jack. Write a list of the players on the Richmond list that you have not said were poor, not up to afl standard, should be traded, should never play again, wouldnt get a game at another afl club or any one of your endless negative coments. It wont be a long list but a least we would have it all in one place for future reference.
Give the kid a chance.
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Yet after one game some were saying he was out of his depth and should be dropped immediately
Fools!
8 kicks 8 handballs, hardly match winning stuff.
some here are easy pleased, although he was better than last week.
Gave away a stupid free kick which gave them a goal and didnt have enough brains to get back on the mark.
So what does a player have to do in their first couple of games for you not to write them off?
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this is elite footy afterall.
here is the list.
Lids
Reiwoldt
Cotchin
Cousins( retiring )
Martin.
Newman ( last 2 years )
J.Post- ( this kid can can play -although hasnt shown it )
Astbury
Griffiths
Collins ( terrible yesterday though )
Moore.
Foley
Jackson.
BrownE
take Cousins out, and you have 14 players to take us to our next finals
Add Edwards,Tuck, King, Graham
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Yet after one game some were saying he was out of his depth and should be dropped immediately
Fools!
8 kicks 8 handballs, hardly match winning stuff.
some here are easy pleased, although he was better than last week.
Gave away a stupid free kick which gave them a goal and didnt have enough brains to get back on the mark.
So what does a player have to do in their first couple of games for you not to write them off?
Kid the kid a rule book for a start
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How about a football based answer to the question rather just a cheap throw away line jack?
Based on that logic, or lack there of, you would have written Jimmy Stynes off after the 1987 prelim?
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this is elite footy afterall.
here is the list.
Lids
Reiwoldt
Cotchin
Cousins( retiring )
Martin.
Newman ( last 2 years )
J.Post- ( this kid can can play -although hasnt shown it )
Astbury
Griffiths
Collins ( terrible yesterday though )
Moore.
Foley
Jackson.
BrownE
take Cousins out, and you have 14 players to take us to our next finals
Add Edwards,Tuck, King, Graham
I asked for list of ones your havent said were crap or should go. There are a couple on this list I can instantly call you on and I am sure if I could be bothered could easy find a few more. The point is Jack, cut the contast negative and people might actaully listen. Saying the this Kid needs to work on this or that in a postive way will get your point across to many more. I am sure the list you quickly provided will be referenced in the future so thank you.
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Yet after one game some were saying he was out of his depth and should be dropped immediately
Fools!
8 kicks 8 handballs, hardly match winning stuff.
some here are easy pleased, although he was better than last week.
Gave away a stupid free kick which gave them a goal and didnt have enough brains to get back on the mark.
16 possies in second league game is certainly making the mark ya bloody dill...examine how prized draft picks perform over first 10 games, most wouldn't break double figures. You need to understand the context of what you are saying..2nd leaugue game at the elite level and less than 5 teammates had more possesions than him. Once you develop a greater understanding of this game you will realise how simple minded your comments really werre :o
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How about a football based answer to the question rather just a cheap throw away line jack?
Based on that logic, or lack there of, you would have written Jimmy Stynes off after the 1987 prelim?
Yes he would have Al.
Jim Stynes first 2 games:
#1 1987 R3 vs Geelong - 5 kicks, 7 hitouts, 1 goal.
#2 1987 R9 vs West Coast - 5 kicks, 14 hitouts, 1 point.
Gaaaaawwwnnnn.
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I don't mind the little leprechaun and J'sters post on him was as stupid as the free kick he gave away.
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Yet after one game some were saying he was out of his depth and should be dropped immediately
Fools!
8 kicks 8 handballs, hardly match winning stuff.
some here are easy pleased, although he was better than last week.
Gave away a stupid free kick which gave them a goal and didnt have enough brains to get back on the mark.
shut up
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Jackstar I support your right to post your deranged views, and I hope you support my right to deride them LOL. James is gonna be a fine, he came out of his shell a bit more this game, his kicking improved from last week, he is not timid and he is hard on himself when he stuffs up so he wants to do well. I think the bloke is pretty clean with the ball, I am shocked at how quickly he has come along being from Ireland actually, you have to remember, unlike our blokes, he hasn't grown up with our football. He is a ripper and will only keep improving.
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got alot of the ball, and was not on the ground long
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I think hes going real well. Hopefully the preseason will give him more opportunity to develop his game.
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Good kick for a paddy :thumbsup
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I'm one of the only posters that read Jack's post with interest.
If you can't see the positives in an international rookie of O'Rielly you'll never be pleased.
Compare him to O'Hailpin or Quinn he's a superstar. He wont turn into a Brownlow medalist but when you pick players up for squat and they show ability at AFL level you have to be pleased no matter how negative you are.
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I'm one of the only posters that read Jack's post with interest.
If you can't see the positives in an international rookie of O'Rielly you'll never be pleased.
Compare him to O'Hailpin or Quinn he's a superstar. He wont turn into a Brownlow medalist but when you pick players up for squat and they show ability at AFL level you have to be pleased no matter how negative you are.
O,Hailpin, now there a waste of a spot on an AFL list for the past 5 years. ::)
As for Quinn, he is like watching a black and white comedy from the 60,s
Mate, I have seen better players in local under 18 that would towel most of these irish players, dont know why the clubs bother
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The improvement he's made in 1 season is staggering. He will be a solid player.
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I'm one of the only posters that read Jack's post with interest.
If you can't see the positives in an international rookie of O'Rielly you'll never be pleased.
Compare him to O'Hailpin or Quinn he's a superstar. He wont turn into a Brownlow medalist but when you pick players up for squat and they show ability at AFL level you have to be pleased no matter how negative you are.
O,Hailpin, now there a waste of a spot on an AFL list for the past 5 years. ::)
As for Quinn, he is like watching a black and white comedy from the 60,s
Mate, I have seen better players in local under 18 that would towel most of these irish players, dont know why the clubs bother
The upside is the unknown quality of O'Rielly. The guy picked up a footy for the first time 18 months ago. Improved to a point where he can be efficient at AFL level. In another 18 months there is signs to suggest he can continue that development curve to be a damaging player.
Slightly agree that there are players in the VFL and U/18's that are better than Irish projects but even the best draft picks fail.
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I've been watching you comments about Connors WP and I am becoming quite confused. You seem to be watching a different player to me. It's almost as if there's something personal going on here.
I normally ignore these sort of things but I'm interested because you are a poster I respect and the Connors thing comes up a lot and often unprompted.
I'll put a disclaimer on the bottom - I'm a fan of Connors and enjoy watching him play.
I haven't hidden the fact that I am not a Connors fan. Is it a personal thing? No
As I have explained previously I think Dan Connors has all the talent in the world therefore his ability isn't the issue for me. I think he is very fortunate to still be on the RFC list after his continual stuff up since he's been the Club.
The main issue I have is about he goes about things on the field. IMHO he can be a very selfish footballer and it gets up my goat.
When Dan plays TEAM ORIENTATED footy he is very good. The problem is every game without fail there is the non-team stuff that undoes his good things. When the Dimma mantra is TEAM FIRST then I expect a bloke who was given a reprieve by Dimma to do it the Dimma way
Here's a couple of examples -
Last week against Melb (2nd qtr IIRC) in the Melb F50 he received a handball and his team-mate kept running to receive a handball back. What did Dan do? Handball it over the top and keep runnng himself? Nah Dan decided to try and baulk around the Melb guy and got pinged. This wasn't team first footy. This was selfish
Against Freo who could forget his squib kick of 15 metres that resulted in a turnover in the final qtr? It was a costly mistake that could have cost us the game. It was not only a poor skill execution but a poor decision again IMHO it bordered on a selfish act
Watch the tape of the Sydney game and you will see him chose poor options because he seemed intent on having to show us all the big wind-up and 50m long kick when 30m pass to a team mate free was the team thing to do
I think the past few weeks the bad habits have really started to creep back into his game. I believe that this has been caused in part by his lack of fitenss which I find staggering when you consider he did a full pre-season.
If he sticks to playing team footy he'll win me over but until he does it consistently I don't enjoy watching him at all
Ah thanks WP. I missed this and just replied in another thread to basically the same points. I see exactly what you are saying.
The thing that changes my opinion is the fact that the kid has only played 23 AFL matches, few of them consecutive. I believe DH wants players to play their natural game. Eventually we will know definitively whether or not this kid can learn but at the moment the jury is still out. If he can't learn then he will be gone and I will wave him goodbye myself.
Even so, for the time being I believe there could be no better place and no better team for a kid to take his chances, make mistakes, and learn on the job. Perhaps he is a bit slow on the uptake, and I can't comment on his fitness or why it might be down this year if it is, but his raw talent excites me and I want to give him every chance to develop.
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Well blow me down with a feather its RROFFO cop! Shouldn't u be doing your hall monitor duties back at Y&B and making sure no-one says 'Caroline Wilson' or trawling through everyone's personal messages to see what they are saying about you?
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Hello Owl.
No that doesn't sound like me at all.
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No it does RROFFO, you don't get to say what sounds like you, those who have observed you in action do.
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I observed Owl eating all the after dinner gerbils. It wasn't very nice of you mate.
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LOL I like you Gerkin, your sweet. I am sorry that you got the shaft for no reason mate. Now how bout that James O'Reilly fella, I reckon he will be a real stuffing ball tearer with a few more games under his belt. He will show weak gutted spineless cowards, heh watcha reckon RROFFO HUH WATCHA RECKON HUH??? ANSWER ME YOU SILLY LOOKING BABOONS ARSE! bah too busy reading other peoples mail, maybe peeping through keyholes again
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I'm one of the only posters that read Jack's post with interest.
If you can't see the positives in an international rookie of O'Rielly you'll never be pleased.
Compare him to O'Hailpin or Quinn he's a superstar. He wont turn into a Brownlow medalist but when you pick players up for squat and they show ability at AFL level you have to be pleased no matter how negative you are.
O,Hailpin, now there a waste of a spot on an AFL list for the past 5 years. ::)
As for Quinn, he is like watching a black and white comedy from the 60,s
Mate, I have seen better players in local under 18 that would towel most of these irish players, dont know why the clubs bother
listen for the most part i agree with you, Ive long been a staunch advocate that for what they GENERALLY amount to, simply not worth the time, money and effort..JOR will have to improve by the same amount again in next 6 mths if this is going to be a worthy exercise...but with what we've seen I wouldnt put it past him
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O'Reilly's not getting Down. Oh really?
Irish Examiner
Joe Callaghan, Brisbane
August 31, 2010 13:28
WITH spring primed to... well... spring any day now, Australia becomes an even more desirable destination for those desperate to escape Ivor, Anglo and everything in between.
And with all but two counties deprived of the chance to end their summer with All-Ireland silver in the shape of Sam, it’s likely that the next few weeks will see those young footballers who have been wooed by Aussie Rules clubs ponder their future.
No better time then, to be reminded that Down Under, all that glimmers is not green and gold.
The AFL season, which saw its league format come to an end on Sunday evening, did feature a record-equalling five Gaelic football converts.
But only one of them was a new hand, Down’s Jamie O’Reilly making a stunning transition to the sport having never played with the orange oval ball before. A late-season elevation from the second string to the Richmond senior list culminated in three straight starts for the Tigers to finish the season. Crunch clashes at the cavernous MCG have ensured that, in spite of the heroics of his black and red brethren back home, he is far from pining for the mountains of Mourne.
‘I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about Down,’ he said this weekend. ‘But I don't regret anything. I'm out here and I've made the decision to pursue another adventure.’
With Richmond very much in a rebuilding phase – O’Reilly is one of a host of first-year tyros who impressed this year – there is no finals action for the 22-year-old to savour. He can however look forward to the second year of his contract with relish.
But now is the time for the reality check. O’Reilly is the exception, not the rule. For every Jamie, there’s a Conor and Brian.
Conor would be Conor Meredith, the star of Ricky Nixon’s Oz Factor reality documentary two years ago. When the agent offered E50 for any player able to kick a Sherrin through a basketball hoop, the Laois youngster duly stepped up and torpedoed it through the ring with only the slightest of swishes.
It made for great television. So too did the scenes of Meredith being cast straight in with the big boys at North Melbourne when he travelled south for a trial.
His exploits earned him a two-year deal. But that would turn out to be as close as he would get to the Kangaroos first team. Meredith spent two years largely with the Werribee reserves, the back-up team to the back-up team, two rungs down from the senior list.
Admittedly injuries didn’t work in his favour but reports indicated that in spite of steady progress and the odd flash, he never quite made himself comfortable on the oval.
Getting picked up by another team would appear to be a long shot at this stage, even with two new franchises – who join the AFL over the next two seasons – desperate for bodies. So it looks like a return home to Midlands.
Brian then is Brian Donnelly. The 21-year-old wasn’t even here for the final weekend of the regular season. He had moved back to Louth five weeks ago having cut his own experiment short.
Donnelly was the first ever Irishman to be recruited by the Adelaide Crows when he joined them in 2008. His first year saw him limited to a reserve side in the South Australian Football League. This year he did take a slight step up to Central District in the senior SAFL, but life with the Bulldogs in the northern suburbs of Adelaide was far removed from the Saturday night lights of the AAMI Stadium where the Crows play in front of crowds of 50,000 and more.
It proved to be too far removed from the dream that dragged Donnelly out here. Home sickness hit hard and when a shoulder injury required surgery in July, he called it a day. That was that.
The Crows, for their part, did their best to make it a smooth exit. They were burned by their Irish investment but general manager Phil Harper said the club would not be scared away from bringing another exile to the City of Churches. They’d just have to think a lot longer – and harder – about their decision.
It may well be that the experiences of Meredith and Donnelly make the next wave of potential code-breakers do likewise.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/blog/post/2010/08/31/OReillys-not-getting-Down-Oh-really.aspx#comment
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Orange oval ball? Might need to adjust the colour balance on your Rank Arena, Joe. LMAO.
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How biased is this article. Refering to players as 'code breakers' and 'exiles' :o is one step away from calling them disloyal and traitors.
Great to hear Jamie is enjoying his football despite being knocked out last weekend :whistle
Stripes
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Andrew raines, roach, hartigan, meyer
this kid has more balls than the rest combined
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This Irish journo is claiming O'Reilly will be on our senior list ???
Elsewhere, two of our young hopefuls Down Under have received good news from their AFL clubs with Longford's Michael Quinn and Jamie O'Reilly from Down being officially included on the senior lists of their clubs.
Quinn has completed his two-year rookie contract at Essendon and has already finished his first season in the AFL. O'Reilly played the last three games for Richmond this season and has his sights set on becoming a Tigers' regular in the coming season.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/tv-cuts-to-have-little-effect-on-gaa-coffers-2415757.html
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That could just mean he's one of our two nominated rookies for next year. I would have picked him for one of those spots anyway. I suggest Hicks will get the other spot.
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Gawd, if Essendon think they've seen enough from Quinn to give him a senior spot, they're in more trouble than I thought.
What are they paying for the spoon again?
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Gawd, if Essendon think they've seen enough from Quinn to give him a senior spot, they're in more trouble than I thought.
What are they paying for the spoon again?
Wayne I hear down at windy hill they have a new currency called the "Hird".
(http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/1343/thehird.jpg) (http://img843.imageshack.us/i/thehird.jpg/)
It was created in an effort to maintain club and supporter delusions and enable bomber fans to feel like Millionaires whilst their team is languishing at the bottom of the ladder.
At present 1 AUD will buy you 25000 Hirds and Bomber fans are soaking them up in the billions! However, the club is recommending that all fans avoid the merchandise stalls throughout the season if they wish to keep that "Millionaire feeling" as one James Hird cardboard Mask will set back the average Bomber fan around half a million Hirds. ;D
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;D
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:clapping
LOL Tiga
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haha nice work TIga
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gold :thumbsup
Essendon, apparently they've got a Hird but no-one can see any cattle
The emperor's new clothes LMAO
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LMAO Gerk. :rollin
I heard a Herd of Hirds were expected to go to the bombers in this draft, but someone in their recruiting dept stuffed up the scouting reports and all they ended up with were Turds and not Hirds. ;D
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No luck in this Irish
Jonathon Drennan
Irish News
Wed 29 Dec, 2010
The airwaves and sports pages in Australia are obsessing about the upcoming installment of the Ashes series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. A short drop punt away from the historic ground, the former Down under 21 star Jamie O’Reilly has another sport on his mind. Pre season training has finished at the AFL’s Richmond Tiger’s training facility for another day and O’Reilly is able to reflect on a momentous year. “I can’t talk enough about how positive this experience has been for me. I’m only 22 and to be playing professional sport for a living everyday is incredible. It’s a privilege and that’s not something I’ll forget too quickly.”
Last year, O’Reilly reported in Melbourne for training with little idea of what being a professional athlete in Australia involved. For a solitary teenage year he had supported the Essendon Bombers in the AFL, “because they wore the same colours as Down.” But apart from this brief teenage flirtation with the game, O’Reilly had to learn Australian rules football completely. It was a frustrating time for a self confessed perfectionist. “At the start, if you don’t get the fundamentals pretty quickly you’re in big trouble. At times I found it very difficult, it was a mental and physical strain, especially in the first few months, but I got some great help from the staff here and eventually got the hang of things.”
Adjusting to life as a professional athlete has forced O’Reilly to become fixated by routine. He wakes up most days at his apartment as the sun rises at 6am, before arriving at the training facility for meetings at 8am sharp. He doesn’t leave the building normally until at least 4pm after rigorous weights sessions and ball work. He is also expected to analyse all of his games on a laptop, studiously picking apart any the flaws in his game. He normally crawls into bed exhausted. Melbourne’s recent attempts to enter into the festive spirit with decorations and brass bands have been lost on O’Reilly.
“I can’t believe Christmas is so near, I’m panicking a bit as I haven’t had a chance to get near the shops. It’s just the way it works over here that the hours of work you do at the club are relatively intense and it’s not like a desk job where you can go home still feeling ok. It’s definitely got better though, last year there were times when I could barely walk because of all the weights.”
The hard graft and sacrifices paid off for O’Reilly last year when he made his debut against Setanta Ó hAilpín’s Carlton Football Club. He went on to play two more games before the season ended, justifying Richmond’s faith in making him their first international recruit. O’Reilly was delighted to make his debut in front of his family who flew over for the game, but it made him even hungrier to succeed in his new sport. “It’s funny, but I don’t think I’ve achieved anything yet. People tell me quite a bit how well I’m doing, but I can’t appreciate it just yet when I’m in the middle of it. Maybe when my career is over I’ll be able to look back and appreciate what I did, but at the moment, I just want to play more games.”
The rave reviews of last year have brought O’Reilly fleeting moments of fame. You can now buy a large Jamie O’Reilly badge in the club shop and he is even starting to get noticed in the street. He laughs at the memory. “I had a friend from home staying with me last year and we always used to go to the same Greek coffee shop near my apartment in the evening after training. One day I didn’t go, but my friend did and the owner demanded to know where Jamie O’Reilly was. It turns out the guy was a massive Richmond fan, but I have to admit it’s something that happens every day.”
O’Reilly is a man of many interests outside of his day job. He is in the process of finishing the last year of his business degree that he started in Queen’s and has found plenty of things to amuse him in one of Australia’s most vibrant cities. “You know I’m into the weirdest things, you wouldn’t believe it. I have this personality that once I hear about something, I have to find out more. One of our players here came back from a trip to Asia and was talking all about Buddhist mediation and how it’s helped him relax for training, so I’ve started reading all about that. I obviously haven’t started practising it, but sure if you could only talk about football you’d become pretty dull very quickly.”
Interestingly, O’Reilly hasn’t felt the need to contact his former county teammate Martin Clarke for advice in the AFL. So far, everything has worked out extremely well. Part of O’Reilly’s success arguably derives from his reluctance to keep looking back at Ireland. “I do miss certain things like my family of course, but I said to my Dad before I came out here if I keep thinking about home it’s going to make me miserable and affect my football negatively so then the whole thing would be a waste of time. You’ve got to embrace the life and the culture here and then you start to enjoy it all that bit more.”
The last time O’Reilly was home in Loughinisland, he put in an appearance as an unlikely Santa Clause for his former club mates. He visited their houses and gave them as much Richmond Tigers merchandise as he could carry to say thank you for their support throughout the year. O’Reilly’s own Christmas list will be extremely simple this year, more AFL games and a few more kilograms of muscle will do just nicely.
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/106553/default.aspx
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Good story. I really hope this kid succeeds.
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No luck in this Irish
Jonathon Drennan
Irish News
Wed 29 Dec, 2010
...I’m only 22 and to be playing professional sport for a living everyday is incredible. It’s a privilege and that’s not something I’ll forget too quickly.”
:thumbsup
Maybe he should have a word to Troy Taylor?
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Down under
;D
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A good read.
Sounds like a bloke with his head screwed on right.