Professional sport is about winning and delivering results. Playing the GAA, yes it's about winning but it's also about playing for your community and doing the best for your community and if it doesn't work out, you go back and do your best next year.

"The intercounty players at top level are able to get themselves into a career path where they can balance the two. The people who take them on are taking them on for their ability as a team player and the strong characteristics they bring to the role they are being asked to do.

There's a level of flexibility. Many businesses are delighted to take on board our top players, because they know the characteristics they are bringing on board will stand them in good stead when they are "nished their playing careers."

Brennan also confirmed he will be meeting AFL of"cials in Paris later this month and did not rule out a resumption of the AustraliaIreland International Rules Series which the GAA voted to suspend last year after violent incidents. But he says he was "offended and annoyed" at how the series ended last year and wants to see a "change of mindset and culture" on the Australian side.

DETTORI SETS THE TONE IN ARC WEEKEND

Frankie Dettori got his Arc weekend up and running when booting home Anna Pavlova in the Prix de Royallieu. Richard Fahey's four-year-old was settled a long way off the pace but Dettori was always sitting quietly aboard the Danehill Dancer filly.

Elsewhere Coastal Path ran out an easy winner of the Prix Chaudenay at Longchamp, leading home an Andre Fabretrained one-two-three-four in the Group Two contest. Given a patient ride by Stephane Pasquier, the unbeaten three-year-old only had to be pushed out to account for his Kieren Fallon-ridden stablemate Noble Prince, who finished well and edged Royal And Regal for second. Friston Forest was fourth for the Fabre team but Irish raider Mores Wells was a disappointing sixth, having never got competitive at any stage in the mile-and-seven-furlong event. Pasquier doubled up as he gave German raider Toylsome a well-judged ride from the front to steal the Group One Prix de la Foret. Owned by Baron Georg Von Ullmann, whose Manduro recently suffered a careerending injury, the eight-year-old was virtually unconsidered in the betting market but won with plenty to spare.

CHINESE POLE LEAVES HAMILTON ON THE BRINK

Lewis Hamilton yesterday admitted he never imagined "in a million years" he would be on the brink of capturing the world championship title when he began his Formula One adventure. The 22-year-old leads McClaren teammate Fernando Alonso by 12 points with two rounds of the season to go. And he claimed pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix just seconds from the end of yesterday's qualifying session to give himself every chance of becoming the first driver to win the title in his rookie season. Having been outpaced by Alonso and Ferrari duo Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa for much of the 45minute shootout, Hamilton pulled out a stunning "nal lap that could not be bettered. Raikkonen will start alongside Hamilton after finishing just 1/10th of a second behind with Massa third. And with Alonso starting from fourth on the grid, it seems only a major mishap can prevent Hamilton from lifting the title after 56 laps of the Shanghai International Circuit.

JONES URGED TO HAND BACK OLYMPIC MEDALS

Disgraced sprinter Marion Jones has been urged to hand back her Olympic medals by US Olympic Committee boss Peter Ueberroth. The American pleaded guilty to to lying to US government investigators on Friday when she denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

She admitted taking steroids from September 2000 to July 2001 and claimed her thencoach Trevor Graham said she was taking flaxseed oil when it was actually a banned substance known in sporting circles as "the clear". Jones won five medals while on drugs at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, three of them gold. "Ms Jones should immediately return the medals she won while in violation of the rules, " said Ueberroth. "She has cheated her sport, her country and herself. Like any athlete who breaks the rules, Ms Jones has earned whatever punishment the legal and anti-doping systems hand out. She now has an opportunity to make a very different choice by returning her Olympic medals, and in so doing, properly acknowledge the efforts of the vast majority of athletes who choose to compete clean."

McGEADY AND CELTIC LEARN HOME TRUTHS

Celtic midfielder Aiden McGeady admits an away victory in the Champions League is next on the agenda after their historic win over AC Milan on Wednesday. The Hoops' 2-1 win over the holders, courtesy of a last-minute strike by forward Scott McDonald, was their "rst in seven attempts against the Rossoneri. The Ireland player turned his attention to Celtic's form on the road in the knowledge that the Parkhead side have failed on 14 occasions to win on their travels in the competition.

McGeady said: "There was still a buzz at training after beating Milan.

But it's hard to put your finger on why we struggle away but in most games away we tend to go behind within 10 minutes. I wouldn't say there is a psychological block but it's something we want to change."

MURRAY ADVANCES TO LAST TWO IN METZ

Andy Murray reached his first ATP final since February with a hard-fought 7-6 6-4 win over Argentina's Guillermo Canas in Metz. The 20-year-old squandered three break points in the first set but kept his composure to take the tiebreak 7-2. Murray, who could face Canas again in the Davis Cup in February, did not face a break point until he dropped serve at 5-3 in the second set. But he hit back at once to book a final against the winner of the other semi-final between Tommy Robredo or Nicolas Mahut.