First indication of football panel for 2009
Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 3:07 am
According to the Tribune, the following players were invited into the preliminary county panel for 2009.
Edenderry Richie Dalton, Sean Pender, Robbie Glennon
Brigids Ken & Seán Casey, David Egan
Gracefield Slattery, Niall Smith
Walsh Island Rory Connor, Alan & Willie Mulhall, Gary Comerford
Raheen Conor Carroll
Shamrocks Neville & Thomas Coughlan, PJ Ward, Stephen Delaney, Padraic Kelly
Tullamore James Keane, Paul McConway, Mark Conlon, Gearóid O'Grady, John O'Donoghue.
Clara Matt Mitchell, Thomas Deehan, John Reynolds, Scott Brady, Joe Quinn, Kevin Meehan
Tubber Joe Higgins, Ciarán McManus
Ballycumber Rory Guinan
Rynaghs Ger & James Rafferty
Erin Rovers Declan Kelly, Dean Bracken, Kevin Lynam
Ferbane Colin Egan, Gerry Grehan
Doon James Coughlan
Shannonbridge Jason Kelly, Kieran Flannery
Birr Seán Ryan, Stephen Lonergan
K/K Conor Mahon, James Gorman.
Gearóid O'Grady confirmed that he'll be returning to rugby, Conor Carroll will be travelling, and the Rhode players weren't considered to take part until their stint in the club championships comes to an end. As we all know, Niall, Alan Mac and (I think) Shane Sullivan will be heading away for a couple of months.
Now caveats out of the way first - obviously there will never be a squad that everyone will agree on, and it's only natural to want more of your own. However, I'd have the following thoughts anyway.....
(1) Overall, I'm disappointed with the lack of experimentation, or anything different at all. There's no unknown quantities in here, lads that you might look at and think that something different might come out of them. It's pretty much last year's squad with a couple of additions. Matt Mitchell is the only guy that might add something really different, notwithstanding players improving etc. But in terms of a dark horse, nothing there.
(2) Along the same lines, a lot of tried and failed guys are in here. I don't want to turn this into a debate about particular players, but a lot of these guys are fellas that have passed their prime, are on the way back and simply will not offer anything new. Perhaps there are new roles imagined, but if a guy who's well into his late twenties or beyond wasn't making the team last year, or was a weak link in doing so, what are we really hoping for in 2009?
(3) No accusation of bias from Ollie Daly anyway. Ballycumber reach a semi and they get one representative - and that representative might not be able to commit. I'm not saying I'd have picked more, but he's either being very neutral or else very quiet.
(4) A couple of these players are way out of form - I understand that you don't want to give up on a guy who has proven talent, but one or two names in here - one in particular - were just about hanging on to their places in their club team. I think it sends out a very bad message if we re-inforce the notion that it takes years to play your way OFF the county panel.
(5) I know I said that I wasn't going to single out individual players, but I have to make a few exceptions. These would be extremely glaring omissions in my book.
(i) Alan Lynam. That display he gave against Ballycumber was utterly superb, and as a guy who is the only forward of note with his club, he is well used to getting plenty of attention, or being marked by the best defender the opponents have to offer. He scores consistently, he scraps for bad ball and he has just the right amount of a chip on his shoulder in the way he plays the game. He was one of the best six forwards in the county on club form this year. That's not to say that I'd pick him for the county team on the strength of it, but ahead of some of the guys named in here? You betcha. (
ii) Nigel Dunne. To me he was the best forward in the Shamrocks team and made more of a contribution than PJ - who as far as I heard, is not even going to be playing in Offaly next year. There's not too many teenagers in Offaly holding their place on a strong club team, never mind leading the forward line. Needs work, needs strength , but he definitely has the talent and would be a real dark horse.
(iii) Aidan Keenaghan. Ye'll accuse me of all sorts of bias, but I don't care - he started three championship games this year, against Rhode, Tullamore and Edenderry - no mugs in there. I'm not sure exactly, but I think he scored 4-4 in those three games from half forward, or an average of five points per game. Anyone who saw him play this year knows that he's definitely got the strength work under his belt, and right now he'd be on my fifteen - how he could be left out of 45 is mystifying. The only logic I can think of is that it's like the guy who breaks up with a girl because he's worried she'll break his heart eventually. Maybe they don't want to pick him because of the potential for knee injury.
(iv) Padraig Duffy. Strong, able to take a score, established as an anchor player on a strong team, used to playing in our county's weakest line....this is exactly the kind of player who I was referring to, who could look at some of the other names mentioned and decide to throw his hat at it because form is clearly of no interest to those making the calls.
Thoughts?
Edenderry Richie Dalton, Sean Pender, Robbie Glennon
Brigids Ken & Seán Casey, David Egan
Gracefield Slattery, Niall Smith
Walsh Island Rory Connor, Alan & Willie Mulhall, Gary Comerford
Raheen Conor Carroll
Shamrocks Neville & Thomas Coughlan, PJ Ward, Stephen Delaney, Padraic Kelly
Tullamore James Keane, Paul McConway, Mark Conlon, Gearóid O'Grady, John O'Donoghue.
Clara Matt Mitchell, Thomas Deehan, John Reynolds, Scott Brady, Joe Quinn, Kevin Meehan
Tubber Joe Higgins, Ciarán McManus
Ballycumber Rory Guinan
Rynaghs Ger & James Rafferty
Erin Rovers Declan Kelly, Dean Bracken, Kevin Lynam
Ferbane Colin Egan, Gerry Grehan
Doon James Coughlan
Shannonbridge Jason Kelly, Kieran Flannery
Birr Seán Ryan, Stephen Lonergan
K/K Conor Mahon, James Gorman.
Gearóid O'Grady confirmed that he'll be returning to rugby, Conor Carroll will be travelling, and the Rhode players weren't considered to take part until their stint in the club championships comes to an end. As we all know, Niall, Alan Mac and (I think) Shane Sullivan will be heading away for a couple of months.
Now caveats out of the way first - obviously there will never be a squad that everyone will agree on, and it's only natural to want more of your own. However, I'd have the following thoughts anyway.....
(1) Overall, I'm disappointed with the lack of experimentation, or anything different at all. There's no unknown quantities in here, lads that you might look at and think that something different might come out of them. It's pretty much last year's squad with a couple of additions. Matt Mitchell is the only guy that might add something really different, notwithstanding players improving etc. But in terms of a dark horse, nothing there.
(2) Along the same lines, a lot of tried and failed guys are in here. I don't want to turn this into a debate about particular players, but a lot of these guys are fellas that have passed their prime, are on the way back and simply will not offer anything new. Perhaps there are new roles imagined, but if a guy who's well into his late twenties or beyond wasn't making the team last year, or was a weak link in doing so, what are we really hoping for in 2009?
(3) No accusation of bias from Ollie Daly anyway. Ballycumber reach a semi and they get one representative - and that representative might not be able to commit. I'm not saying I'd have picked more, but he's either being very neutral or else very quiet.
(4) A couple of these players are way out of form - I understand that you don't want to give up on a guy who has proven talent, but one or two names in here - one in particular - were just about hanging on to their places in their club team. I think it sends out a very bad message if we re-inforce the notion that it takes years to play your way OFF the county panel.
(5) I know I said that I wasn't going to single out individual players, but I have to make a few exceptions. These would be extremely glaring omissions in my book.
(i) Alan Lynam. That display he gave against Ballycumber was utterly superb, and as a guy who is the only forward of note with his club, he is well used to getting plenty of attention, or being marked by the best defender the opponents have to offer. He scores consistently, he scraps for bad ball and he has just the right amount of a chip on his shoulder in the way he plays the game. He was one of the best six forwards in the county on club form this year. That's not to say that I'd pick him for the county team on the strength of it, but ahead of some of the guys named in here? You betcha. (
ii) Nigel Dunne. To me he was the best forward in the Shamrocks team and made more of a contribution than PJ - who as far as I heard, is not even going to be playing in Offaly next year. There's not too many teenagers in Offaly holding their place on a strong club team, never mind leading the forward line. Needs work, needs strength , but he definitely has the talent and would be a real dark horse.
(iii) Aidan Keenaghan. Ye'll accuse me of all sorts of bias, but I don't care - he started three championship games this year, against Rhode, Tullamore and Edenderry - no mugs in there. I'm not sure exactly, but I think he scored 4-4 in those three games from half forward, or an average of five points per game. Anyone who saw him play this year knows that he's definitely got the strength work under his belt, and right now he'd be on my fifteen - how he could be left out of 45 is mystifying. The only logic I can think of is that it's like the guy who breaks up with a girl because he's worried she'll break his heart eventually. Maybe they don't want to pick him because of the potential for knee injury.
(iv) Padraig Duffy. Strong, able to take a score, established as an anchor player on a strong team, used to playing in our county's weakest line....this is exactly the kind of player who I was referring to, who could look at some of the other names mentioned and decide to throw his hat at it because form is clearly of no interest to those making the calls.
Thoughts?