Legendary Tyrone boss being proven right after staunch anti-AFL stance

He was loud about it!

As far back as 2006, he was highly critical of the International Rules series, which he felt was taking away from the GAA and providing a platform for players to showcase themselves to Aussie rules teams.

In 2007, he said that the GAA should be championing the inter-provincial Railway Cup over the international competition, arguing: "It's time for the GAA to focus on our own game. Get the Railway Cup back in that slot were that hybrid game, which I have no time for, used to happen.

"We in the GAA should be doing nothing to encourage that. We should be encouraging people that Gaelic games is the one to play and if people do decide, of their own volition, to go elsewhere, that's fine.

"But we should have no connection with the AFL and then if people go of their own accord, so be it."

In 2011, he hit out at the GAA for their 'close' relationship with the AFL, and their lack of initiative in curbing the flow of players going abroad.

Referencing former Down and Collingwood player, Marty Clarke, he said: “If Marty Clarke returns to Australia to resume his Australian Rules career, he will be a serious loss to Down football, but that is the possibility we facilitate when the GAA engages with the AFL in the official capacity that currently prevails.

“People will argue that it might happen anyway, and there may be an element of truth to that, but we as an Association should not be making our games a warm market for the AFL.

“As James McCartan said, it is up to every individual to do what they will and I have no difficulty with that either; if people want to go and play in the AFL of their own volition, then good luck to them. I am glad none of the current Tyrone squad are so inclined but I do continue to wonder why we engage with (the AFL) when there is absolutely no return traffic."

In 2020, he was criticised by Clarke and former Sydney Swans and Kerry player, and then Swans assistant coach, Tadhg Kennelly, after further criticism of the GAA and AFL connection.

When Tyrone star Cathal McShane was being courted by the Adelaide Crows, Harte accused former GAA players of scouting recruits to go Down Under.

Speaking with the BBC, he said: “I’ve not been a fan of the engagement we’ve had with the AFL over many, many years now.

"And I think that’s the sad thing about it. It used to be in the past [that] we had unknown Australians trying to woo our players out to their AFL league. Now we have ex-Gaelic players doing it.

“It really saddens me. That’s what we’ve got now: we’ve got [recruiters] for the AFL within our own ranks of the GAA, and that’s sad.

“It’s something that you know was going to happen. All you needed to do was get a few players out there first and get them involved to some degree.

“We find that most of them come home and haven’t made it out there at all, and often don’t even play as-good Gaelic football when they get back. But now they’ve got a different role [available to them] — they can be agents for the AFL.

“And that’s an absolute free gamble for them. If our players succeed out there, it’s a cheap gamble, and if they don’t, they send them back to us to see if we can continue to play football with them.”

In response, Kennelly said: “It’s nothing new. Obviously, I understand where he’s coming from and of course he’s going to be disappointed.

"I’m almost sick of it. It is almost a consistent theme, and while I understand the frustration within the GAA, I think the AFL is an easy target."

Clarke added: "So for Mickey to be suggesting that former GAA players have the authority to go a team like Adelaide Crows and say, 'you should pick him up' is quite comical.

"The hours of research that is done for a profile of a player to fit in with how that team plays. Will a guy fit into their culture, where he's at in his life? Does he have a career outside of sport that he wants to fit in? These are massive, massive things and they are only done by the clubs.

"There's no doubt in my mind that the Adelaide Crows did all this by themselves.

"They would have access to all the games on GAA GO. They would have been tracking him for a number of seasons and they said 'you know what, we would like to have a conversation with that guy'."

Given the premium Gaelic football talent that been poached by the AFL in recent years, Harte's warnings perhaps should have been taken more seriously.

Kerry have been hit massively with the departures of Mark O'Connor, Cillian Burke, Rob Monahan and Ben Murphy. While U20s talents Evan Boyle and Daniel Kirby have both been offered contracts by an AFL club.

Kobe McDonald is the most high-profile player to have left, and clubs have been circling around a number of young Dublin talents.