Pat Spillane: Kerry teen tyro as good as Kobe - and going nowhere

But while Leaving Cert student McDonald has agreed to join St Kilda later this year, Spillane said Kennedy has knocked back interest from the AFL.

Speaking at the announcement of Comfort Keepers as the official Community Impact Partner of the GAA/GPA, Spillane described Kennedy as the real deal.

And with four Kerry men — Mark O'Connor, Rob Monahan, Ben Murphy and Cillian Burke — currently contracted to AFL sides for 2026, the League and All-Ireland holders cannot afford to lose any more of their prospects.

"Tomás Kennedy, I know the AFL guys were after him and he didn't want to go out, I don't know why, but he's a serious talent," said Spillane. "He's in the Kobe department.

"What's so good about Tomás Kennedy? He has everything, I swear to God. First of all, he's obviously the prototype player in the modern game - he's tall, athletic, strong, a ball winner, can score, has pace. So everything really, ticks all the boxes. He's very good."

Kerry manager Jack O'Connor complained at Christmas about the AFL recruiting Irish players. And just this week, Kingdom great Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh said the drain of talent from the ladies game is a serious concern.

"I still think the AFL are robbing our crown jewels and getting away with it - and getting away with murder by not compensating clubs," said Spillane. "I don't know what can be done, the players are amateurs. But they're stealing our crown jewels and getting away with it for nothing and I think that's wrong.

"There has to be some form of compensation deal between the (GAA) club and the AFL, there has to be. You're dealing with one group as a professional sports body who have money. I don't know, it frustrates me.

"I know the women are being decimated, in terms of departures from their game. Their game is in trouble if it keeps going like this because Australia don't have a tradition of ladies Australian Rules Football, so they'll have to keep robbing Ireland."

On McDonald in Mayo, Spillane said Mayo should do everything they can to keep the teenager who has blasted 1-4 and 0-2 in his two League appearances so far.

"Look, I don't begrudge him because the chance to get paid for playing a professional sport is brilliant. But Christ, surely to God there's a group of wealthy Mayo people that could come together and give him a package."

Spillane believes that situation has privately happened in Kerry over the years.

"I know a lot of Kerry players have been approached and I would hazard a guess, but I'm not certain, but I would say they were given a good enough deal to stay at home, whether it was scholarships or whatever like that," said the nine-time All-Star.

Spillane is optimistic about Kerry's general form, claiming that the League and All-Ireland holders, along with Donegal, are the two favourites for Sam this year.

But he warned the Sam Maguire Cup holders that Jim McGuinness is already plotting their Championship downfall.

"Suddenly Finbarr Roarty is out marking Ryan O'Donoghue of Mayo," he noted of this year's League. "The next match Finbarr Roarty is out on Oisín Conaty. And I'm saying, 'Aha, he's looking ahead. Guess who is going to be marking Paudie Clifford in a couple of months' time'.

"Because having Finbarr Roarty out on a top player like that means he's running the game on his terms. He's driving forward, he's forcing Ryan O'Donoghue and Oisín Conaty into places they don't want to be, retreating back."

Former Sunday Game pundit Spillane featured recently on The Tommy Tiernan Show, opening up about his deep religious faith.

"The reaction just exploded, it is unreal," he said. "Out of all the reactions, 30 years of Sunday Game and all this racket, I've never seen anything like it. The phone has been going non-stop."

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