Former Cork hurler Setanta Ó hAilpín has been subjected to criticism in the Australian media as doubts surface about his ability to cope with Aussie Rules football.
The 2003 All-Star and Young Hurler of the Year left Cork to pursue his dream of becoming a professional sportsman at Carlton after the All-Ireland final defeat by Kilkenny.
Despite forcing his way onto the senior list after less than six months in Australia, Ó hAilpín has struggled to convince critics he has what it takes to emulate the achievements of Tadhg Kennelly and Jim Stynes.
Ó hAilpín made a good fist of his first season in the VFL (a competition for senior reserve squads) last year, and made his senior debut midway through the campaign, but thereafter he was despatched to the reserves.
This season the enormity of his task has become more evident with Carlton at rock bottom both on and off the field, prompting respected Australian journalist Jake Niall to be sceptical about Ó hAilpín's long-term prospects.
"In a sense, Setanta Ó hAilpín is a symbol of Carlton's weakness," Niall wrote in the Melbourne Age yesterday.
"A marvellous athletic specimen, he cannot kick the ball with the precision required in AFL football. Ó hAilpín has done remarkably well just to play at this level in such a short period, but one doubts if he would ever have played senior football at all were he not recruited to a club that had suffered from severe draft penalties with such a dire playing list."
In 2002 Carlton were found to be in breach of salary cap regulations, and are still suffering from the subsequent punishment: they were heavily fined and stripped of top player picks.
But Carlton legend David Parkin praised Ó hAilpín's work- rate and encouraged the club to keep him in the side for the remainder of the season.
"There is no harder working player than Setanta at Carlton," Parkin said. "His conversion from hurling to Australian Rules is a great story and I really hopes he makes it. The only way we will know for sure is if he is given an extended run in the Carlton team."
Ó hAilpín is on the first of a two-year senior contract at the cash-strapped club, but it is not clear if they will extend his contract at the end of 2007.
The player is adamant he will "do whatever it takes", but the questions remain if another club would even consider recruiting him if he failed at Carlton.
"Playing for Carlton is the biggest dream of my life and means more to me than playing hurling for Cork," Ó hAilpín said.
"I can always return to hurling if things don't work out for me here, but I'm not even thinking about that at this stage. I want to improve my game and stay in the senior team. I am not playing well, but the more senior games I play the more I will improve."
Carlton coach Dennis Pagan confirmed the Irish convert was getting games before his time.
"We were forced to look beyond the square after the salary cap penalties decimated the club," Pagan said. "There's probably a few boys you would allow to develop and grow as young men and footballers at VFL level. We're playing some of them a bit prematurish."
