THREE MEMBERS OF Kildare’s Leinster U21 winning side have been selected as part of a European Legion squad that aim to impress AFL scouts in tomorrow afternoon in Surrey Sports Park in England.
The European selection faces an AIS AFL Academy team in the game which will take place at the venue just outside London at 2pm.
Kerry’s Tadgh Kennelly is the coach of the European Legion squad which features seven Irish players who were selected from the AFL trials that were held in DCU in February.
Johnstownbridge duo Sean Hurley and Daniel Flynn and Celbridge’s Paddy Brophy – who all impressed for the Lilywhites in Wednesday’s night’s victory over Longford – are all included in the setup.
Both Flynn and Brophy have caught the eye earlier this year for the county senior side who have qualified for the Division 1 football league semi-finals.
Two members of last year’s Dublin All-Ireland minor wining side have been named in the squad. Niall Scully from Templeogue-Synge Street and Shane Carthy from Naomh Mearnóg, who featured for Jim Gavin’s senior team in this year’s O’Byrne Cup, are the capital representatives.
AFL International Talent Coordinator Tadhg Kennelly during a recent trial in DCU
Pic: INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
Kerry’s Padraig Lucey, a member of the Legion club and a panelist with UCC in the Sigerson Cup this year, and Armagh’s Ethan Rafferty, who has lined out for their county senior side this year, complete the Irish representation.
Galway’s Shane Walsh had been selected as well but the Kilkerrin-Clonberne clubman will be tied up with his county tomorrow night in the Cadbury’s Connacht U21 football championship final against Roscommon in Dr Hyde Park.
Kennelly has previously praised Flynn who impressed in the trials when he ran a 2.95-second 20m sprint and also excelled in the agility test.
Brophy also caught the eye after he ran a 14.7 beep-test which compared well with the best score at last year’s NAB AFL Draft Combine where Tom Clurey recorded a 15.1 shuttle run before being drafted to Port Adelaide. The agility and dexterity of 6’6″ Lucey also stood out.
In all there are seven countries represented on the European squad for a game which is part of the Easter Series. Another game is scheduled to take place in Copenhagen in Denmark.
DENMARK: Jens Djernes, Mathis Biron, Mikkel Kjoege, Victor Petersen, Rene Palsgaard.
GERMANY: Jakob Jung.
FRANCE: Wilfried Houvion.
ENGLAND: Cameron Cope, Luke Booth, Levi Fernandez, Sean Walton, Craig Degville.
SCOTLAND: Tom Exton.
IRELAND: Shane Carthy, Niall Scully, Daniel Flynn, Paddy Brophy, Padraig Lucey, Ethan Rafferty, Sean Hurley
SWEDEN: Hampus Ollson.
