Cats eye offspring No.7

[Strawb]

as reported in today's Herald-sun

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/ ... 22,00.html

Cats eye offspring No.7
17 April 2007 Herald-Sun
Scott Gullan

AS THE Tom Hawkins phenomenon continues to grow, Geelong has yet another potential father-son recruit on the horizon.

Adam Donohue, the son of century goal-kicker Larry, has been in the best players for the Geelong Falcons in the opening two rounds of the TAC Cup.

The excitement surrounding Hawkins, the son of Jumpin' Jack, has reignited the debate over the merits of the father-son rule with the Cats having an extraordinary success rate with the offspring of former players.

They have six on their list with five of those -- Hawkins, Matthew Scarlett, Mark Blake, Gary and Nathan Ablett - part of the team which played Melbourne on Sunday.

The other is Tim Callan who has played 15 games in five seasons at Skilled Stadium.

Larry Donohue only just played enough games to qualify his son.

With the cut-off at 100 games, the big full-forward clocked up 105 between 1973-80 and kicked 339 goals. He was Geelong's leading goalkicker for four years running and in 1976 topped the league's goalkicking with 105.

Former Geelong champion Michael Turner and long-time Falcons regional manager, said Adam was a completely different player to his dad.

"He is playing off the back-flank for us at the moment and he is one of the kids that has actually surprised us this year," Turner said. "He was best-on-ground in Round 1 and in our best in Round 2."

The 17-year-old, from Winchelsea, measures up at 182cm and 82kg.

"It has to be all put in perspective because he's only just turned 17 and it is early days yet," Turner said.

"But he is a really good runner, he reads the play and has got a good footy head.

"Larry was a great kick, obviously you have to be to kick 100 goals, but this kid is a great kick on both feet."

Donohue has already registered on the radar of other AFL clubs, with Melbourne recruiting manager Craig Cameron admitting he was in his sights before he learnt about his breeding.

"The first time I saw him I marked him down and thought this is a kid to follow," Cameron said. "At that stage I didn't know he was Larry's son.

"Then I was up in Maryborough on Saturday watching him play again and that's when I found out he was Larry's son and I thought, 'They've got another one'.

"He is a nice, clean player. He finds the footy, he makes good decisions and he has got good lateral movement.

"I don't know what they have in the water down there but it is certainly working."

The Falcons have a great history of producing father-son talent, including Brisbane superstar Jonathan Brown, and have three on this year's playing list.

Along with Donohue there is Ayce Cordy, the 200cm son of former Footscray defender Brian, and Jaxon Barham, the son of Collingwood speedster Ricky.

The AFL is currently reviewing the father-son rule with a push to revamp it and reflect the market value of eligible players.

Exciting times down at Catland.

[Rik E Boy]

It's just a Conspiracy of One :lol:

regards,

REB

[sydney-dog]

As reported this week

THE AFL will rewrite the father-son rule, removing a club's unconditional right to a second-generation player and instead enforcing a bidding system with opposing teams.

The change, the 12th to the father-son rule since it was first amended in 1967, means every club will have the opportunity to bid for father-son players by committing a first-, second-, third- or fourth-round pick before the national draft. The club with the first rights to take the player must then match the best bid from any other club or lose the player.

Should the premiership club, for example, commit to a first-round pick — in other words pick No. 16 — then the father-son club would be compelled to give up its next closest pick, in that case a second-round choice, to take the player.