Place Kicker Competition!!!

Bogman · Post by **Bogman** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:26 pm

Shamrocks are getting a lot of exposure in the local press with this Padraic Kelly brainwave to be run off on Sunday August 28 in Mucklagh during a Shamrocks Sports Day. Offaly's finest shooting for goal from a variety of angles and distances -

2 from 21 yards
2 from 30 yards
3 from 37 yards
3 from 45 yards
2 from 51 yards

Kevin Corrigan promises entries from such as Niall McNamee & Pascal Kelleghan, Paul Rouse, Fergal McEvoy, John Reynolds, Ciaran Reilly, Ciaran Grennan, Rory Guinan, John O'Neill, Ken Casey, Alan Mulhall. Some of those are handy from play and are brave enough to step up to take the frees for the club but I wonder how they would fare in a free-taking competition? Paul Rouse would be my bet from the above suggestions.

Any comments?

Treasurer · Post by **Treasurer** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:51 pm

That sports day is off, though the say it will definitely go ahead at a later date.

Barracuda · Post by **Barracuda** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 2:49 pm

I heard Mac won the main competition ?

Hyper · Post by **Hyper** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 3:24 pm

Mac won it ok with Fergal McEvoy second. Ger Tracey won the minor. KK will love to see that result!

stupid like a fox · Post by **stupid like a fox** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 5:06 pm

seems Fergal Mac was very unlucky to lose he hit the crossbar with his last 45 which would have given him 3 pts and the win over big Mac..

As a competition I thought it was a nice idea though..

Bogman · Post by **Bogman** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 12:32 am

Yes, From the Tribune account it seems that Mac beat out John Reynolds, Padraic Kelly, Brian Monaghan, Jimmy Conway, Conor Mooney, Ken Casey, David Egan, Ciaran Grennan, Rory Guinan, Alan & Willie Mulhall, Paul & John Rouse.

The report says that after taking twelve kicks, the top six qualified for the final which Mac won with two points to spare.

I can't see any way to crab that result. It looks like Mac beat a fairly representative group of good freetakers fair and square. One thing I will say for him is that he takes the frees off the ground which should give more consistent results in the long term or is this true (Peter Canavan, Padraic Joyce seem to do all right by stealing a few yards and taking frees from the hand) ????

O.K. so what are the implications for Offaly. Does this mean that Mac is our best freetaker from any angle, left or right, long or short? Should we just give the ball to him and let him get on with it. Maybe he should be asked to practice freetaking every day because he is our number one choice as freetaker? Should we be looking forward to Mac taking charge in those nail-biting moments in the Championship?

Barracuda · Post by **Barracuda** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 9:35 am

Does this mean that Mac is our best freetaker from any angle, left or right, long or short? Should we just give the ball to him and let him get on with it. Maybe he should be asked to practice freetaking every day because he is our number one choice as freetaker? Should we be looking forward to Mac taking charge in those nail-biting moments in the Championship?

No, I think it proves very little.
For example I was at one of the Shannonbridge games this year and Fegal Mac was not what you would call "on Fire" either, and he finished 2nd.
C Mac's "hit" rate is way way too low as it stands presently, maybe if he were practicing every other day it might improve, but until it improves, keep him away from those long range close yer eyes and hit it frees.

As Such Ger · Post by **As Such Ger** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 9:46 am

I received this as a forwarded email, with the origin coming from Pat Scooner Cooney of Tullamore. Not sure if he wrote it or not, or if has appeared anywhere else, but it is certainly worth a read... Enjoy

OFFALY GAELIC FOOTBALL FREE-TAKING COMPETITION

THE DAY THAT ALL ADMIRERS OF THE DYING ART OF QUALITY FREE-TAKING WERE WAITING FOR, HAD FINALLY ARRIVED. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH 2005 WAS THE DATE AND MUCKLAGH GAA PITCH WAS THE VENUE. THERE WAS BARELY A BREEZE BLOWING.
THIS WRITER WAS PRIVALIGED TO SPECTATE AT WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS A BREATH-TAKING VARIATION OF FREE-TAKING. SEVERAL BIG ESTABLISHED CLUBS TEAMS AND SOME UP AND COMING ONES WERE REPRESENTED. BALLINAMERE WERE ALSO MENTIONED.
FREES WERE TAKEN FROM DISTANCES OF 21M,30M 45M AND 51 METRES. THE NAME OF PAUL ROUSE WAS CALLED UP FIRST. PAUL WAS FRESH AND REASONABLY CONFIDENT AFTER A MODERATE PERSONAL DISPLAY AGAINST SHANE ‘COUNTY MAN’ SULLIVAN THE PREVIOUS WEEKEND. HE ELECTED TO TAKE THE HANDY 21M FREES FROM THE GROUND WITH HIS STRONGER RIGHT PEG. CONDITIONS WERE OBVIOUSLY AGAINST HIM AND HE SCORED JUST ONE.
JOHN REYNOLDS,JIMMY CONWAY AND FERGAL McEVOY SCORED IMPRESSIVELY AND RORY GUINAN WORE A LOVELY TRACKSUIT. THE PLAYERS WERE JUST ABOUT TO MOVE OUT TO THE 30M LINE WHEN THE GREAT MAC BURST ONTO THE PITCH IN HIS AUSSIE RULES CAPE. WITH BARELY ONE SOCK ON, CIARAN TOOK HIS FREES AND SCORED EACH ONE.
THE SAME PLAYERS WERE AGAIN RATTLING UP THE POINTS FROM THE 30M DISTANCE WITH CIARAN GRENNAN AND NEVILLE COUGHLAN GETTING IN ON THE ACT. PADRAIG KELLY CLEARED THE BLACK SPOT, THE FENCE BEHIND THE GOALS AND THE BEEHIVE IN MOUNTBOLUS. A MINI GAME OF TACTICAL WARFARE WAS STARTING TO DEVELOP BETWEEN DARYL O’DWYER AND JOHN ROUSE (the roundy one).
AS THE DISTANCES INCREASED TO 45M AND 51M, THE REAL CLASS BEGAN TO SHOW. McMANUS,REYNOLDS AND McEVOY WRE LEADING THE WAY. PAUL ROUSE WENT FOR GOALS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE CONOR MOONEY SHOWED THE ACCURACY OF A CORNER BACK. JOHN ROUSE CONSISTENTLY FOUND TOUCH. WILLIE AND ALAN MULHALL (also the roundy one) DIDN’T LET D’ISLAND DOWN.
IN THE END, VICTORY WENT TO CIARAN McMANUS MAINLY BECAUSE VERY FEW OF THE OTHERS COULD KICK THE BALL AS FAR AS HIM. THOSE PLAYERS ONE WOULD EXPECT TO PERFORM AT A HIGH LEVEL WEEK IN WEEK OUT DID WELL FOR THE MOST PART.
PAUL ROUSE MAY BE THE EXCEPTION TO THIS WITH 2 POINTS FROM 12 KICKS. HOWEVER HE WOULD HAVE FINISDED 10TH RATHER THAN 20TH BUT THE ORGANISERS ALLOWED UNDER 16’S AND MINOR PLAYERS TO TAKE PART.

Barracuda · Post by **Barracuda** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:57 am

IN THE END, VICTORY WENT TO CIARAN McMANUS MAINLY BECAUSE VERY FEW OF THE OTHERS COULD KICK THE BALL AS FAR AS HIM.

Indeed

Bord na Mona man · Post by **Bord na Mona man** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 12:39 pm

If the competition was held in Croke Park, would McManus still have won it?

Barracuda · Post by **Barracuda** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 4:03 pm

If the competition was held in Croke Park, would McManus still have won it?

Yeah, of course he would, but only if the same opposition turned up.

Bord na Mona man · Post by **Bord na Mona man** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 4:38 pm

Barracuda wrote:Yeah, of course he would, but only if the same opposition turned up.

I doubt his 0 scores from 9 free attempts in his last 2 visits to Croke Park would see off the rest.

Barracuda · Post by **Barracuda** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 9:40 am

How about this national place kicking compettion for both the ladies and gents which i heard the great Michael O' Muirehurrrrtighhhh on about this morning - will Mac have a go?

I think he said it was on this weekend in Dublin.

the bare biffo · Post by **the bare biffo** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 9:45 am

Was that not the cic fada ?

Barracuda · Post by **Barracuda** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 9:56 am

Was that not the cic fada ?

Jaysus you could be spot on there, I was half asleep this morning (and still distracted by that waitress one, but thats in the past- County Man now you know (grasps the gansey and pulls it awy from the chest))

www.uibhfhaili.com

Place Kicker Competition!!!

Place Kicker Competition!!!

Place Kicking