2013 Player Profile: Setanta O'hAilpin

[Football Factory]

Setanta O'hAilpin - GWS

POSITION: Ruck/Forward

OFFICIAL PRICE FOR 2013: $157,700





AGE: 29

HEIGHT:  199cm     WEIGHT: 98kg



2006 GAMES: 11       AVERAGE: 39

2007 GAMES: 22        AVERAGE: 48

2008 GAMES: 12       AVERAGE: 42

2009 GAMES: 12       AVERAGE: 46

2010 GAMES: 14       AVERAGE: 53

2011 GAMES: 6         AVERAGE: 73

2012 GAMES: 1         AVERAGE: 34



HISTORY:

2004    Elevated to Carltons primary list

2005   He made his AFL debut during 2005, but had limited game time, scoring a goal with his only kick â€" a set shot at the very end of the game.

2006   Ã" hAilpín was placed on Carlton's senior list in 2006. After playing largely in the forward line for the first years of his development, he was shifted to half-back in early 2006. He gained regular senior selection late in the season, going on to play in the final ten games of the season.

2007    Ã" hAilpín began the 2007 season playing at full-back, playing the first six games there. An injury to Cameron Cloke then saw Ã" hAilpín replacing him as a back-up ruckman. He has also been rotated forward from the ruck position, making him versatile. In June 2007, Setanta exchanged punches with teammate Cain Ackland in a training match. The event drew some media attention, however the club at the time brushed the incident off.

2008   Ã" hAilpín became a crowd favourite among Carlton fans. His nickname, "Carlos", is derived from the similarity between "Setanta" and "Santana", the surname of the Mexican-American guitarist Carlos Santana. "Setanta" was the birth-name of Cúchulainn, hero of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology

2009   On 6 February 2009, Ã" hAilpín was suspended indefinitely by the Carlton Football Club for his involvement in a violent altercation with teammate Cameron Cloke in an internal trial match. His actions were scrutinised by the AFL's match review panel on 9 February and he faced being forced into anger management counselling. On 9 February 2009, Ã" hAilpín was suspended for four weeks by the AFL tribunal after being charged with a level four offence for striking Cloke and a level two offence for kicking him (IN THE ASS  ;D ). He came close to returning to Ireland.

2010   Following the departure of Fevola in the 2009/10 offseason, Ã" hAilpín became the regular full forward/half forward in the Carlton lineup. He began to average over two goals per game, and on 2 May 2010 he kicked a career high five goals, becoming the first Irish player to do so.

2011    During the AFL Trade Week at the end of 2010, Ã" hAilpín was linked with a move to the Western Bulldogs after apparently being unhappy at being dropped from the Blues' side midway through the season and never getting back in. He played eight matches in 2011, including two finals, but was delisted at the end of the season; Carlton indicated that it would have preferred to have kept him on the list, but was forced to delist one more of its out-of-contract players due to league requirements that clubs make three changes to their primary list each season

2012   In the following offseason, Ã" hAilpín was recruited to the inaugural AFL playing list of the Greater Western Sydney Football Club, the club using its fifth round selection in the 2011 AFL National Draft (No. 79 overall) to recruit him. He played his first match for Greater Western Sydney in Round 6, 2012, against his former team Carlton, kicking two goals before rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in the third quarter of the game; he missed the remainder of the season with the injury.



VERDICT: Carlos,Santa,Setanta ?  Has never played a full season apart from 2007 due to injury, club suspenion and form. Setanta has never been a big scorer in fantasy terms averaging over 70 only once in 2011 but only played 6 games so its hard to determine if he would have continued his average till seasons end. Kevin Sheedy has earmarked Setanta to take over Folau's role, not exactly a high scoring position.

PREDICTION: Has been told he has a spot in the GWS team next year. If he can control his anger and has a good run without injury he could average between 50-60, if he got a bit of ruck time in 2013 maybe you could raise that average a little. At 157k with DPP i must say he is appealing  :o  . Might be a good R/F link in your rucks and could make you a few dollars, who will take the risk?



Sheedy earmarks O'hAilpin to replace Folau

Coach Kevin Sheedy has earmarked Setanta O'hAilpin to take the place of departed fellow code-hopper Israel Folau in the GWS Giants AFL team.

Irishman O'hAilpin, 29, suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament knee injury in his first senior game with the Giants in 2012 but recently signed a new one-year contract.

With struggling marquee player Folau returning to rugby league, a role has opened for O'hAilpin who played Gaelic Football and hurling before starting his 81-game AFL career at Carlton.

He can play as a forward and ruckman, but also has the capacity to play down back.

"His (O'hAilpin's) passion is brilliant, you can't beat it," said Sheedy on Monday.

He's one of the most passionate people I've met in AFL. He'll be our replacement for Folau."

O'hAilpin was grateful for the chance but admitted some apprehension.

"I've been fortunate to get another opportunity from the Giants, so hopefully I can repay their faith and have a good season," O'hAilpin told AAP.

"It's a big test for me. They say when people come back from an ACL (injury), it's one of their hardest years."

Sheedy felt he could potentially play both O'hAilpin and Adelaide forward-ruckman Kurt Tippett, who remains a Giants' target.

And he said his many youngsters were about to experience real pressure for the first time in the club's second season of AFL.

"We'll come out of this draft in two weeks with seven players and five of them are going to be in the first 14 picks, so the pressure will be on for selection for the first time," Sheedy said.

He didn't expect GWS to suffer another run of hidings like they did in the middle of the 2012 campaign, but wanted them to significantly reduce their losing margins.

"We'll be extremely competitive and if you did win four games or more, that would be fantastic," Sheedy said.

Meanwhile, Sheedy is looking to extend his time at the fledgling AFL club with a possible director of football role after handing the head coaching reins to Leon Cameron following his second season in charge of the Giants in 2013.

"After I stop coaching, probably I'll be a director of football, in charge of footy basically in certain roles," Sheedy said on Monday.

GWS chief executive David Matthews confirmed the club was planning to discuss a role of that type with Sheedy.

"I'd like to see him linked with the Giants and involved with the Giants for forever and a day, because he's been one of the architects and one of the builders," Matthews said.

"He's just such a positive force, not just around our club, but around Greater Western Sydney generally.

"He's got so much to contribute in football and other areas too so we'll work out something that hopefully satisfies his desire to keep building things beyond 2013



Scrads Thread: Big Setanta 157k R/F

http://www.fanfooty.com.au/forum/index.php/topic,70086.msg949018.html#msg949018

[kilbluff1985]

if he is named round 1 and no other rookie rucks are think i would put him on the bench

[Football Factory]

if he is named round 1 and no other rookie rucks are think i would put him on the bench

Yeah i think it would be hard to justify the extra cash over say a Witts,Currie,Daw,Gawn just for DPP and job security

[Adamant]

Yeah, really depends who is named round 1 or not. At this stage, I don't think the extra cash is really worth his JS.

[Manbearpig]

A lot will depend on O'hAilspin's body and whether he is sure of a spot in the side. Definitely on my watchlist, especially if I put a ruckman in my forwards.

[Justin Bieber]

I don't think he will get named rd 1...

[Ziplock]

this is his break out year, 80+ average.

I was actually devastated when he got reinjured this year- he looked great in the half game he played :(

[Scrads]

Thanks for the plug to my thread :P

If he is named round 1 he will come under real consideration for me.

[Football Factory]

Thanks for the plug to my thread :P

If he is named round 1 he will come under real consideration for me.

No worries   :P

[Justin Bieber]

I like how it says replacing Folau when Folau wasn't even in their top team

[Ziplock]

he replaces the function that izzy was supposed to fill.

[Football Factory]

he replaces the function that izzy was supposed to fill.

+ 1

[henry]

Yeah nice writeup again haven't even really considered him but will do so now. I remember his injury was pretty serious and I'm not sure if he'll be right to go round 1. Even if he does not sure I'll be able to fit him in but that R/F link is handy.