Young Donegal starlets Michael Murphy and Patrick McBrearty both came under the focus of Australian Rules agent Ricky Nixon in the last week.
The controversial Nixon was in Healy Park, Omagh on Thursday last with a video camera trained on Carrick Vocational School U-16 player Patrick McBrearty, while he was also in Newbridge on Sunday, running the eye over Murphy (who also attended a tri
al last week along with the cream of young GAA talent, held by Nixon).
However, if Murphy is to go Down Under on trial for Australian Rules Football it will be in a agreement with Donegal manager John Joe Doherty and it will be not be during the playing season.
Both the Donegal boss and Australian agent Ricky Nixon have confirmed to the Donegal People's Press/Donegal Democrat that they had spoken on the matter of Michael Murphy late last week and that they had an agreed that if he was to go to Australia it would be done in agreement between both men.
"I received an assurance from Ricky Nixon when we spoke last Thursday, that if he going to take Michael Murphy or any other player, it would be in the closed season and he was more than happy to agree to that," said John Joe Doherty, who went on to say that he was much happier about the whole situation after speaking to the Australian.
Speaking yesterday Ricky Nixon said: "Whatever is going to happen in relation to Michael Murphy and of the other Donegal players in the county panel will be done through John Joe Doherty.
"If Michael is to go to Australia it will obviously be his own choice, but I have also assured John Joe Doherty it will not be during the playing season and it now looks like if Michael is to go out it will be November ," explained Nixon.
Ross Wherity, Sean O'Kennedy and Darren McGeever also attended last week's trial in Dublin along with Michael Murphy and Nixon insisted they will be treated exactly the same way as Murphy.
"People need to understand that it is not up to me who goes for trial; it is the clubs who will decide. All I do is profile the players and forward those profiles to the clubs and they decide who they want to trial."
On Young Player of the Year Michael Murphy's prospects, Nixon - a former Australian Rules star - insisted that the game had changed since his own playing days and is not as much a big man's game as it used to be.
"Michael is a big man and is a very good kid and has a very good attitude to the game. I even watched him on Sunday in what was a very poor quality game, though he played well and did pose a threat but there are no guarantees and it is also up to Michael himself if he wants it,"added Nixon.
Meanwhile, Nixon also admitted that he watched Carrick Vocational School's Patrick McBrearty last Thursday, though he did insist in the case of the Kilcar youngster it would be a number of years before clubs would be interested in him.
"I watched Patrick and a number of other players on Thursday at the schools final in Omagh. But they are all very young and it will be a number of years before clubs will be interested in those players and it is certainly far too early to say whether clubs will be interested in Patrick or not."
Nixon has proved a controversial figure and has raised the ire of many top managers with Tyrone's Mickey Harte one of his biggest critics. Our own Martin McHugh has also voiced concerns about his approach and in particular his videoing of Patrick McBrearty at Thursday game in Omagh without getting permission from the player, his family or the school.
However Nixon himself feels since he has spoken to John Joe Doherty and other county managers such as Paddy O'Rourke in Armagh and Dublin's Pat Gilroy in the last few days that attitudes have changed towards him and he feels now that is the way to go.
