O'Shea impresses in Aussie trial

Mayo star Aidan O'Shea has been offered a rookie contract from Aussie Rules club Western Bulldogs at the end of next season.

The 19-year-old is currently in Australia and has been training with the Bulldogs for 10 days.

O'Shea has intimated that he would be available for the county next year after speaking to manager John O'Mahony.

Bulldogs' head coach Rodney Eade said that the Bulldogs would monitor O'Shea through sports agent Ricky Nixon and his Ireland-based talent-identification team. The club will also endeavour to send a member of the coaching staff to the country to check on his progress before inviting him to return to Whitten Oval next year.

'He's a bit more of a power forward than a running-type play. He's got good agility and he's a good competitor with good hands,' said Eade.

In other Mayo GAA news, county secretary Sean Feeney has accused the county's senior football team of lacking leadership in the wake of their All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Meath on 9 August.

In his report to next week's annual convention, Feeney spells it out starkly when he suggests that manager John O'Mahony and his backroom team 'have a lot of work to do.'

Expressing clear disappointment with the defeat, despite a Connacht success for the first time since 2006, Feeney says that the 'total collapse' against Meath was 'inexcusable.'

'The team lacked leadership and strength in key areas and until this is addressed we will not be serious contenders for Sam Maguire,' he warned.

Feeney has also made a number of suggestions as to how more time can be made for club fixtures and players. He urges all minor, senior, U-21 and junior panels to be cut to 24 again -- having previously been at that level before manager pressure restored it to the current 30.

And he proposes that the number of challenge matches be reduced and a compression of the inter-county season involving doubling up of championship weekends in Ulster and Leinster.

Feeney also suggests that the maximum time allowed off from club duty for senior inter-county players should be reduced from 13 to seven days. The Garrymore club have tabled a motion to the convention asking that the inter-provincial championships be discontinued 'with immediate effect.'