Motion aimed at preventing player poaching
Ringtown hurling club put forward a motion to the Westmeath GAA convention that no player under the age of 11 can be transferred automatically to another club without the consent of the player's own club.
“Unfortunately, there is no rule preventing such transfers now and if this is allowed to continue smaller clubs will be severely marginalised. Everything must be done to protect and support the survival and progress of such clubs and this motion would be a significant step in doing so,” the club stated.
JP Creggy proposed the motion. Damien Keogh (Turin) seconded the motion, noting it was brilliant and should be passed. He said it’s vital to protect younger players starting in nurseries, and at U8 and U10 levels.
“It seems like a lot more players are starting earlier,” he observed.
Rival clubs are spotting talent and players may have been targeted in the past. “There were players being told, ‘make sure you transfer before you are under 12’,” he claimed.
Chairman Frank Mescall observed that the motion refers to a young player’s first club and in the rule book it states that U12 is the grade at which this happens. It doesn’t apply to players younger than that.
Patrick Doherty (head of operations) explained the potential is there for a nine-year-old to have a first club, with any player over nine allowed to play U12. “Any nine-year-old who has played has a first club,” he noted.
Mr Mescall said the first competitive games are now U12 and the motion would be ruled out of order at congress.
Tom Hunt, Central Council delegate, advised that a similar motion was passed two years ago in Mayo, but it wasn’t supposed to come into effect until 2023.
“When the implications of the motion were examined, it was postponed and then overturned at the last Congress, unanimously. It was actually passed but it was realised that younger players who play in a Go Games match, the club they play for would become their first club. That was not acceptable at all,” he said.
“So, the sentiments of the motion were passed, but when the implications were examined, the rule was introduced as Patrick Doherty explained. It came into effect immediately after Congress (last year).”
Frank Mescall advised clubs to be careful what they wish for.
It was decided not to vote on the motion as it will not be accepted on the Congress clár for a number of years.
“What they are talking about is a certain element of poaching going on and I can see exactly where they are coming from. But we need a different mechanism to combat that. We would have to do an awful lot of work with that: it would not be accepted. We are looking to change the Official Guide,” he added.