Rising Kerry star set for AFL visit amid signing fears

Kerry starlet Ben Murphy is set to fly to Australia this week to visit the Brisbane Lions amidst growing fears that the Kingdom are set to lose another player to the AFL.

It is understood Brisbane are one of two clubs in discussions with the Austin Stacks man who has been a standout prospect for club and county in recent years.

Murphy was outstanding in the U20 Munster final as Kerry cruised past Cork last April and inspired Mercy Mounthawk to a successive Corn Uí Mhuirí title in February. He was also named in the 2024 Electric Ireland GAA Minor Star Football Team of the Year.

Last month, the powerful midfielder helped his club to the Kerry U-21 Football Championship with a win over St Kierans.

Murphy has featured at senior level for Stacks in the County League but an injury kept him out of their opening club championship group game last weekend as the Tralee outfit overcame Templenoe.

Kerry have several players Down Under currently. Milltown-Castlemaine’s Cillian Burke was the latest to make the move last year when he joined Geelong. Dingle star and Premiership winner Mark O’Connor is a team-mate there.

Dual player Rob Monahan is in his second year with Melbourne side Carlton Blues.

In 2021, Stefan Okunbor departed Geelong and returned to the Kerry squad, although he was not part of the All-Ireland winning panel last year. All-Ireland minor winner Deividas Uosis returned in 2022 but did not return to county football.

Should Murphy sign a contract, he would join as a Category B Rookie ahead of next season. The AFL is currently approaching the end of the regular season, with two rounds remaining.

At the Kerry convention last year, chairman Patrick O’Sullivan urged Croke Park to form a committee to look into the number of players departing.

“Representatives of the AFL are constantly floating around Kerry minor and U20 teams over the last number of years. They come selling a professional sport to our younger players. It is hard for young players not to look at a professional career in sport,” O’Sullivan said.

“The Association has to take some action regarding the AFL’s constant scrutiny of our younger stars in Ireland. Procedure will have to be put in place where players cannot be taken without contributing to the club and counties who give so much to the development of these players.

“If our younger players keep emigrating to Australia, the outlook for Kerry senior teams going forward will not be a good one. Kerry players are at the heart and soul of our county, and we, as an Association, have to figure out a method to retain and keep our players at home in Ireland.

“We in Kerry aren’t the only county suffering from this issue. There are players from other counties choosing to emigrate as well. We will be calling on the GAA to form a committee to look into this matter.”

Click here to read article