FORMER Australian Rules ace Marty Clarke has rejected Mickey Harte’s criticism that people like the ex-Down player are recruiting agents for the big clubs Down Under - and described the Tyrone manager’s assessment of the scouting procedures as “comical”.
Harte was clearly miffed over the possibility of losing star player Cathal McShane to AFL club Adelaide Crows. The Tyrone Allstar will spend a couple of weeks at the Aussie Rules club with a view to signing for them and therefore putting his Gaelic football career on hold.
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster’s Sportsound Extra Time programme last night, Clarke said his link-up with the AFL here is a “developing and mentoring” role and not a recruiting one, adding that he had no knowledge of McShane’s mooted departure to Adelaide.
Although Harte didn’t use Clarke by name, he said: “It used to be in the past we had unknown Australians wooing our players out to the AFL; now we have ex-Gaelic players doing it, which really saddens me.”
Clarke responded: “These are million dollar businesses and their greatest resources like any club, be it amateur or professional, are their players.
“So for Mickey to be suggesting that former GAA players have the authority to go to a team like the Adelaide Crows and say: 'You should pick him up,' is quite comical.
“The hours of research that is done for a profile of a player to fit in with how that team plays. Will a guy fit into their culture, where he's at in his life? Does he have a career outside of sport that he wants to fit in? These are massive, massive things and they are only done by the clubs.”
On the specifics of his role, Clarke said: “All I’m doing is helping guys who have already been selected.”
Owen Roes clubman McShane hasn’t made a decision on his next move.
