Players who have converted from one football code to another

There are many players who have converted one football code to another or even changed from other sports at a professional or representational level.

In some countries where the practice is common they are known simply as "football code converts".

Reasons why players change codes

Some reasons can be:
*Easily interchangeable skills or body types
*Professionalism or amateurism in the new sport
*Change of location
*Changing popularity of codes in their area
*Career longevity
*Higher salaries and salary caps
*Favourite sport or club
*Suitability for 'specialist' positions
*Disgruntled with a sport, club or league
*Opportunity to play International Football ("Test" matches)
*Perceived quality of domestic competition or sub-international representative football (such as Super 14 Rugby, Heineken Cup Rugby or State of Origin Rugby League)

Main football codes and key attributes

*American football (called "Gridiron" outside North America) - a professional code with focus on contact, physical strength, size and tackling. Some specialist positions focussing on skill. Some require kicking and catching skills with oval ball. Few opportunities for code conversion.
*Australian rules football - a professional code with a wide range of both kicking and hand skills used in most other football codes. Focus on height or versatility and stamina. Oval ball suits conversion to other oval ball sports, and International Rules participation provides round ball experience. Medium to high contact sport makes conversion to other contact codes easier, but body shape may be negative factor in conversion to rugby football and American football. Few specialist positions.
*Canadian football - generally similar to American football in rules (although differences make the Canadian game somewhat more focussed on speed), required skills, and constraints on code conversion.
*Football (soccer) - a professional code with focus on skill and evasion, in particular of foot without use of hands (few exceptions). Round ball makes difficult to convert to oval ball sports. Difficult to convert to codes requiring hand skills, especially for outfield players (i.e., not goalkeepers). Obvious opportunities for transference of place-kicking skills to other codes, most notably American or Canadian. Few specialist positions.
*Gaelic football - an amateur code with wide range of skills used on other football codes. Focus on fast running, hand and foot skills. Low level contact and International Rules participation means possible to convert to full contact sports.
*Rugby league - a professional code with focus on using hands and tackling. Focus on bulk and power. Relatively easy conversion to rugby union for backs; more difficult for forwards. High contact sport makes conversion to other contact codes easier. Some specialist positions.
*Rugby union - a professional code with focus on using hands and tackling with some kicking, although kicking is a major focus of the fly half position. Focus on size, aggression and strength. Relatively easy conversion to rugby league for backs; more difficult for forwards, plus American or Canadian football for almost all union positions. Some specialist positions.

From American football

American football to rugby league

Association football to Australian rules football

Although playing with different shaped ball and using the hands, there have been many Aussie Rules players who have played soccer at junior level. AFL players to have played soccer at junior level include Andrew McLeod, Clive Waterhouse, Adam Goodes, Adem Yze and Eddie Betts. Englishman Brad Moran converted in 2003 and Brad Green was trialled with Manchester United before switching codes. National team representatives to switch from soccer include Mtutuzeli Hlomela (South Africa) and Michito Sakaki (Japan).

Association football to rugby union

*Luke McAlister, a New Zealand international rugby union footballer, grew up in the north-west of England and had a trial with Manchester United before converting to rugby union at an early age.
* Loreto Cucchiarelli former player-coach of the Italian rugby union team, played football for Lazio at a young age.
* Conrad Jantjes played for the youth national team of South Africa at soccer, rugby union and cricket.
* Brothers Kevin O'Flanagan and Mick O'Flanagan represented Ireland at both soccer and rugby union.

From Australian Rules Football

Australian rules football to American football

The punting specialist position requires similar skills to those found in Australian football players. Salaries are up to 5 times higher and the position lends itself to longevity. Australian football players generally retire at around 30, whereas American football punters can play well into their 40s (in fact, one of the players listed below, Darren Bennett, played 11 seasons in the NFL after leaving behind an Australian rules career when he was nearing 30). Initially Australians sought out American football careers [http://www.gridironaustralia.org.au/history.htm] , although now NFL scouts are more often actively seeking punters from Australia [http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17795003%255E20322,00.html]

Australian rules football to rugby league

Early in the history of the two codes in Australia, players would interchange the codes and even had discussions of merging them into a single game. [ [http://rl1908.com/articles/AFL.htm Australian Rules Football and Rugby League merger ] ] Rugby league has since evolved to specialise in physicality and body type making it more difficult for successful conversion between the two, although it does sometimes happen at junior level and in areas where both codes are played. League great Darren Lockyer played Aussie Rules at a junior level in Queensland [ [http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21753488-5003425,00.html The Midas Touch] by Paul Malone from couriermail.com.au] , as did Marcus Bai in Papua New Guinea. Players of both codes at Junior levels have included Peter SterlingFact|date=June 2007 (League) and Paul Kelly (AFL). Greg Brentnall played Australian Football in Riverina in the 1960s before turning down an offer to play in the VFL/AFL and switching to rugby league taking up a contract with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in 1972.

Gaelic football to Rugby Union

Rugby league / rugby union

Two of the closest codes, they share some similar skills. Until 1995 union was "officially amateur" and union players were offered money to switch codes. That trend has since reversed. Conversion from one code to the other is more difficult for "forwards" rather than "backs" where the similarities are most adjacent. It is worth noting that several players, including Iestyn Harris and Mat Rogers, have converted between the two codes on more than one occasion.

* See Dual code rugby internationals for a complete list of players who have represented at international level in both rugby codes.

Rugby union to rugby league

From Rugby League

Rugby league to rugby union

Rugby league to Australian rules football

In recent years, several schoolboy rugby league players have made a transition to Australian Rules, including Paul Kelly, Kieren Jack, Matthew Whelan and Sam Gilbert whilst Wayne Carey from Wagga Wagga was exposed to rugby league at a young age.

Converts to football codes to and from other sports

This group of players, while small, is substantially larger than the first:
* Setanta Ó hAilpín (Hurling / Aussie Rules)
* Shane Long (Hurling, Soccer)
* Niall Quinn (Hurling / Soccer)
* Keith Wood (Hurling, Rugby Union)
* Dean Brogan (Basketball / Aussie Rules)
* Mark Lisle (Basketball / Aussie Rules)
* Kurt Tippett (Basketball / Aussie Rules)
* Jeff Wilson (Rugby Union / Cricket)
* Justin Charles (Baseball/Aussie Rules/Baseball)
* Bo Jackson (Baseball/American football)
* Deion Sanders (Baseball/American football)
* Tony Gonzalez (Basketball/American football)

Hurling and Gaelic Football Dual Players

Because Hurling and Gaelic Football are sister sports in Ireland the number of 'dual players' is almost endless. Previously it was common for players to play both sports simultaneously at the top level. Former Irish Taoiseach Jack Lynch won successive All-Irelands in Gaelic football (one) and Hurling (five) in the 1940s.

Only one person - Teddy McCarthy - won an All-Ireland in Hurling and Gaelic Football in the same year - 1990 with Cork.

However in recent times this has become almost impossible as both games became ever more professional. The most recent player at the very top level is Seán Óg Ó hAilpín who played in two All-Irelands for Cork in 2000. He has since only played hurling. As mentioned above his brother has converted to Australian Rules Football.

ee also

* List of Australian rules football and cricket players

References