|
Post by Mickmack on Apr 10, 2015 23:26:53 GMT
The main point being made by Paddy Heaney is that Derry got all the bad press for that game between themselves and Dublin whereas Dublin were just as negative. Donegal got all the grief for that semi final in 2011 when Dublin didn't come out to play either. I made this point in the post below. I can see Paddy Heaneys point to be fair. Dublin and Derry was simply a standoff. Dublin have done well since 2010 in counter attacking when naïve teams come forward and get dispossessed. Derry decided they weren't going to fall for that. Dublin were no different to Derry in that gameplan. If both teams decide that they will avoid being caught in the counterattack then they you a game like we saw on Saturday.
|
|
|
Post by MrRasherstoyou on Apr 11, 2015 9:19:57 GMT
You're right Mick, to some extent. I certainly agree it was unfair Derry got such bad press. My view on it though is a little different again. I've said it several times that the reason the game became so bogged down in comparison to other games where one team sets up to contain was because Dublin didn't play with the necessary tempo or intensity to trouble Derry in the first 50 minutes.
They did clearly play with more intensity in the 2nd half and eventually Derry cracked. Overall my main issue with it was that Dublin didn't play very well on the night, which played into Derry's goal of keeping the game very tight. A better team would probably have beaten us, if we couldn't have raised our game more.
Regarding the whole furore, I do think it's a bit simplistic to claim "both teams did the same", when clearly one team's set-up was defined to at least some extent by the other team's set-up. We all know that if you go in against a team with alot of players back, and you go in all-out attack mode, and if you don't make headway, (and even sometimes if you do) then you leave yourself susceptible to being picked off.
It was a dirty night, not the kind of night to try to weave pretty interchanges against a massed defence. The other factor on the night was that Dublin were clearly still trying to establish and try out a way of setting up against better teams who may be using the very withdrawn tactics.
Against Monaghan they came out and played with great tempo and kept it up. Why was it so different? Monaghan are better than Derry though perhaps they didn't turn up on the day (strange considering they were at home and what was at stake, was it a mental thing after last year's Qtr final? Usually teams like Monaghan show up with a point to prove). Were they saving themselves? Yet many people say Derry didn't reover from the bad beating in last year's League final.
Kerry didn't turn up at home to Monaghan, so perhaps Dublin didn't turn up against Derry. Given then that Derry were mostly working on containment, and the conditions on the night, and Dublin trying to maintain shape and defensive discipline, you get a sort of perfect storm. It happened to coincide with another big spell of debate about the state of football. I don't think anyone has any high moral ground.
Funnily enough I thought we played quite an attacking formation against Donegal earlier in the league, so the Derry game was surprising. I think we also played poorly against Tyrone, Tyrone played better than Derry, it was a very dogged, scrappy, misshapen, fairly negative game, and somehow it game escaped alot of attention. Funny old worrreld.....
|
|
|
Post by kerrygold on Apr 11, 2015 9:26:14 GMT
Very difficult to see anything other than Dublin marching to three back to league titles over the next few weekends with a big aggregate winning margin.
|
|
|
Post by Mickmack on Apr 11, 2015 9:33:42 GMT
will Dublin be able to tailor their approach depending on the opposition as the season progresses. That will be interesting. We all know that attacking is in Gavin's makeup but it takes two to tango (or not tango) and when we have a cautious stand off involving Dublin and a Northern team the media should call it so. The same applies if Kerry adopt a similar approach against a Northern team.
|
|
|
Post by kerrybhoy06 on Apr 11, 2015 9:58:24 GMT
Regarding the whole furore, I do think it's a bit simplistic to claim "both teams did the same", when clearly one team's set-up was defined to at least some extent by the other team's set-up. We all know that if you go in against a team with alot of players back, and you go in all-out attack mode, and if you don't make headway, (and even sometimes if you do) then you leave yourself susceptible to being picked off.
I agree with the above and we know this only too well coming out of last years final where people called Kerry defensive when all we did was react intelligently to Donegal's tactics. I think Jim is damned if he does and damned if he doesnt- when Dublin didnt react to a defensive system against Donegal and lost- he was criticised to the high heavens. Now he does react to an overly defensive team and win- he is still getting it in the neck! What do you reckon for tomorrow Rashers? Easy enough win against Monaghan?
|
|
|
Post by MrRasherstoyou on Apr 11, 2015 10:18:42 GMT
Regarding the whole furore, I do think it's a bit simplistic to claim "both teams did the same", when clearly one team's set-up was defined to at least some extent by the other team's set-up. We all know that if you go in against a team with alot of players back, and you go in all-out attack mode, and if you don't make headway, (and even sometimes if you do) then you leave yourself susceptible to being picked off.
I agree with the above and we know this only too well coming out of last years final where people called Kerry defensive when all we did was react intelligently to Donegal's tactics. I think Jim is damned if he does and damned if he doesnt- when Dublin didnt react to a defensive system against Donegal and lost- he was criticised to the high heavens. Now he does react to an overly defensive team and win- he is still getting it in the neck! What do you reckon for tomorrow Rashers? Easy enough win against Monaghan? Well first of all Jim Gavin has to take the criticism the same as anyone else, he claims that we only want to play a certain way but that also is a bit disingenuous. I think Gilroy was a bit smarter about it, the way in which he spoke about it anyway. That's not to say Gilroy exactly had it all cracked either, I actually thought we were poor enough against Donegal in 2011, but got away with it. There's nothing wrong with being smart and tactical. Jim Gavin is trying to be honest on one level but he'd be better off just saying "fair play to Derry, they were very tight and disciplined, but they didn't make the most of the opportunity", or words to that effect. Trying to take the high ground does you no favours in GAA. Tomorrow is hard to read, will either or both teams produce a serious level of performance? All I can say is Dublin should win with a bit to spare, no argument, no excuses. The other game also begs the question, do either team really want it badly? I know Cork are mostly a new team but they won 4 leagues in a row and were left disappointed to only win one All-I, in recent times. Do Donegal and Dublin want a big clash at this stage? It all throws light again on the sad state of affairs as regards the structuring of competitions, we should be looking forward eagerly to see the best teams square up and going all-out, not shadow-boxing because of a knock-out competition later in the year.
|
|
|
Post by buck02 on Apr 13, 2015 11:07:52 GMT
Heaney used one photo of Dublin with 14 men inside their own half against Monaghan in Clones to back up his argument. He decided not to mention that Dublin scored 1-22 or something like that in the same game.
Kerry played Mayo in 2 classic semi finals in 2014 and Dublin in a classic in the 2013 semi final. But when they decide to keep their half back line at home and their wing forwards behind midfield for periods of the 2014 they are castigated as being as defensive as Donegal in their set up.
The same commentators laughed at our naivety in 2003, 2008 and 2012 for example and talked about us being tactically unaware and afraid to get our hands dirty in order to win a game. Dublin were belittled for their gung-ho approach in last years semi final.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
|
|
|
Post by Annascaultilidie on Apr 13, 2015 12:27:30 GMT
It does annoy me when commentators describe Kerry as defensive but ultimately it is probably a marginal help rather than hindrance to our chances this year... although I suspect IC managements understand that Kerry are not as defensive as these commentators suggest.
|
|
falveyb2k
Fanatical Member
"The way this man played today, if there was a flood he'd walk on water. Jack O Shea"
Posts: 1,920
|
Post by falveyb2k on Apr 13, 2015 18:45:27 GMT
The cliched analysis extremely annoying. To listen to Heaney on off the ball was painful last week, the fact that he had no response to Colm Parkinson shows how spurious his argument was. The best I ever saw was at half time in last year's final though, Ciaran Whelan put up a caption entitled Kerry's defensive system showing the 6 Kerry backs in their position!!!! What's even more laughable is the now accepted fact among some people that Kerry played the exact same as Donegal last year!!!!!
|
|
|
Post by southward on Apr 13, 2015 19:45:38 GMT
|
|
|
Post by kerrygold on Apr 13, 2015 22:08:42 GMT
The cliched analysis extremely annoying. To listen to Heaney on off the ball was painful last week, the fact that he had no response to Colm Parkinson shows how spurious his argument was. The best I ever saw was at half time in last year's final though, Ciaran Whelan put up a caption entitled Kerry's defensive system showing the 6 Kerry backs in their position!!!! What's even more laughable is the now accepted fact among some people that Kerry played the exact same as Donegal last year!!!!! Wouldn't expect anything else from TSG.
|
|
|
Post by hatchetman on Apr 14, 2015 12:25:56 GMT
Interesting to see that Jack seems to have picked a midfielder in goal for the Kerry Minors partly it seems because he can kick the ball 60 or 70 metres off the ground. I was wondering if coaches would start this tactic of playing outfield players in goal as it seems the traditional shot-stopping skills are now not as important as kick-out strategies. I wonder will goalies start to alternate with defenders and take part in attacks out of defence as well which would be more likely if they were outfield players?
|
|
Jigz84
Fanatical Member
Posts: 2,017
|
Post by Jigz84 on Apr 14, 2015 12:41:21 GMT
gaeliclife.com/2015/04/joe-brolly-three-sam-maguires/I HAVE spent the week cycling through the mountains of Mallorca. It is a prehistoric place. It could be the setting for Jurassic Park. On Easter Monday I was grinding my way up the notorious Puig Major, head down, sweat running down my chin onto my thighs, when a car slowed beside me and a voice roared “Up Tyrone.” The occupants of the car cheered. One shouted “Three Sam Maguires Brolly and don’t forget it.” Then they accelerated past me and were gone. There is no escape. And no comeback. I wasn’t at home last weekend, but when Adrian McGuckin senior tweets that a game was “class,” I’m inclined to take his word for it. Tyrone played some excellent football, by all accounts, and were unlucky not to beat Kerry, who are an extremely difficult team to beat. Since Eamonn Fitzmaurice took over, they have worked relentlessly at training on fouling in the middle third. Either that, or the players have met up and practised it on their own time, though I know which case I’d prefer to be presenting to a jury. Either way, they have almost perfected the way to beat the black card. Unlike my son Rory, who a few weeks ago, was playing for his school team. From the throw in, the opposition midfielder took off on a solo run through the middle of the defence. Rory saw his chance and went racing in to nail him. Just as he reached him, the big midfielder off loaded the ball. A split second later he was crunched. As he lay on the turf, winded, the ref raced in and reached into his pocket. Rory stretched out his arms imploringly and started the obligatory sorrowful pleading “Come on ref, I was committed to the shoulder.” “Don’t blame me son” said the official, raising the black card aloft, “blame your da.” Kerry’s method of avoiding the black card is simple but highly efficient. Using both hands, grip any opponent who takes possession outside the scoring zone and hold him for a second, making sure they are not brought to ground. Just enough to concede a free, no more. So, when an opposing midfielder comes down with the ball, he is held. The same goes for a halfback coming out of the defence, or a half forward winning a breaking ball. Quick choke hold, then stand off and delay the quick free. It is automatic. Against Derry in Celtic Park, on 100% of occasions when they were close enough to do it, they employed it. Derry were awarded free after free outside the scoring zone, totally disrupting us and giving Kerry a significant advantage. They were at it again against Tyrone. The statistics speak for themselves. Kerry 34 fouls, Tyrone 14. Avoiding these grabs is virtually impossible. Tony McEntee, in his excellent, scholarly Irish Examiner column, called it “Kerry’s lazy tackling.” It is fortunate indeed for both Crossmaglen and Armagh that Tony was less diplomatic on the field. In the end, that deliberate, systematic fouling was enough to prevent Tyrone’s counter attacks from yielding a winning scoreline. From Tyrone’s perspective, the biggest positive from the league was the way they matched three of the big four, Kerry, Dublin and Mayo. The biggest negative, which outweighs those positives, was the thoroughly depressing trouncing by Donegal. Donegal steeled themselves for that game and – as is natural for a team that has been at the very top for four years – went seamlessly into championship mode. Mickey Harte’s decision to play highly defensive football this season was clearly designed with the first round draw in mind. Up until the Donegal game (the Monaghan game aside), everything looked good, with a succession of teams including the Dubs and Mayo foundering against their new defensive system. Better still, they achieved that without fouling, mindful of the threat of long range frees from Murphy and McFadden. So it was an awful kick in the belly for them when Donegal throttled them and cast them aside, just six weeks before the championship. A gloom settled over the players and support that day and it is difficult to see how it can be lifted. As one bitterly disappointed Tyrone supporter said to me afterwards, “They’re better at muck than we are.” What he meant was that Donegal have perfected this brand of football, particularly the counter attack (witness their goal against Mayo on Sunday). To this, it might be added that when it comes to stealing scores against a massed defence, there is no one better than Michael Murphy. Against Derry in Celtic Park last June, he gave a perfect display of brilliant long range scoring and assists. Finally, Donegal are even better at not fouling in the scoring area than Tyrone. You would have to think that for the time being, Tyrone will remain on three Sam Maguires. Something we in Derry will never be allowed to forget.
|
|
falveyb2k
Fanatical Member
"The way this man played today, if there was a flood he'd walk on water. Jack O Shea"
Posts: 1,920
|
Post by falveyb2k on Apr 14, 2015 18:44:00 GMT
Didn't take long for him to start on us again, if we lose this year he can then turn around and say I told you so. I love how he can state things like we're practicing fouls at training as if it's a fact, maybe he's found a way to get in behind the locked doors at training!!!!!
|
|
|
Post by Mickmack on Apr 14, 2015 20:40:00 GMT
Heaney used one photo of Dublin with 14 men inside their own half against Monaghan in Clones to back up his argument. He decided not to mention that Dublin scored 1-22 or something like that in the same game. Kerry played Mayo in 2 classic semi finals in 2014 and Dublin in a classic in the 2013 semi final. But when they decide to keep their half back line at home and their wing forwards behind midfield for periods of the 2014 they are castigated as being as defensive as Donegal in their set up. The same commentators laughed at our naivety in 2003, 2008 and 2012 for example and talked about us being tactically unaware and afraid to get our hands dirty in order to win a game. Dublin were belittled for their gung-ho approach in last years semi final. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Its amazing how "ordinary" certain teams now look when you play a conservative game-plan against them. Kerry made it too easy for some teams for too long by being caught out of position when possession was lost circa 45 yards from goal.
|
|
|
Post by Deise Exile on Apr 14, 2015 22:26:57 GMT
Any word on jAmes o donogue? Is he back with the legion yet?
|
|
|
Post by kerrygold on Apr 15, 2015 7:42:24 GMT
GAA in defence of Croke Park as a venue for football league semi-finals Updated: Wednesday, 15 April
There were many empty spaces in the Croke Park stands for the league semi-final - but the counties involved served up some entertaining fare There were many empty spaces in the Croke Park stands for the league semi-final - but the counties involved served up some entertaining fare Alan Milton, GAA head of media relations, has mounted a robust defence of the quality of fare served up in Sunday’s Allianz FL Division 1 semi-final double-header at Croke Park, and claimed that the disappointing attendance was due to a “perfect storm” of unfortunate events. Just 20,013 turned up to see Dublin edge past Monaghan and Cork account for Donegal, but Milton had no issues for the venue chosen to host the games despite the almost funereal atmosphere at Croke Park. “I think it’s probably very important, as a starting point, to make a clear distinction between what takes place when players cross the white line, namely the game on the field of play, and what happens in the stands,” he told RTÉ Sport. “Obviously they’re related because one feeds off the other, but were powerless to dictate what takes place when two teams take to the field. It’s a very special dynamic any time 30 players or 35 players over the course of the game go head to head. “For what it’s worth, my personal opinion on it, I thought the two games were enjoyable and entertaining games on Sunday. “I sat back in a dethatched position and watched them. I thought they were really high scoring, I thought there were great exhibitions of long-range shooting. Admittedly some of the teams set themselves up very defensively, which was their prerogative to do so, but I don’t believe it had a negative impact on the games that we were treated to. “In relation to the attendance, I think we had what you might describe as a perfect storm, in that unfortunately we had a rematch of a game that was very one-sided just seven day earlier in Clones, which we were powerless to do anything about “We’d torrential rain in Dublin on Sunday morning for anyone that was in the capital and there were other sporting events on, so all told, the attendance wasn’t as high as what we would have liked it to have been, but those people who came saw two decent games. Milton also questioned what playing the matches in alternative venues could have added to the spectacle. “Would you have put Cork and Donegal in Tullamore or in Galway? I think if you had done that you’d be looking at a crowd of less than 5,000 people.” Players desire to play in Croke Park was also cited as a major motivation for choosing venues for high-profile games, with Milton adding: “You talk to the players as well. This is another hugely important factor. We survey the players on quite a regular basis and the feedback we get all the time from speaking to them would be that they want to play in Croke Park. “I think most people would accept Croke Park is a very large stadium - it holds 82,300 people - it’s probably only full two or three times a year, but that said, I think it was a unique set of circumstances that led to an attendance of just over 20,000 last Sunday and I wouldn’t be expecting a repeat of that attendance either for the remainder of this year for games of that magnitude or in future years when Allianz football or hurling semi-finals are taking place.” This weekend’s Allianz Hurling League semi-finals take at Nowlan Park in Kilkenny, but Milton believes the participation of Dublin, Cork, Tipperary and Waterford means the choice of venue is the correct one. “The geographic reason for the four counties makes perfect sense,” Milton said. “We’ve had a tremendous success taking games to Semple Stadium and, most notably, Nowlan Park. “I think anybody who was in Nowlan Park for the qualifier game of Kilkenny and Tipperary (2013) will talk about it for many years to come. We’ve had an Allianz Hurling League final there too.” Advance sale tickets can be purchased for next Sunday’s Cork v Dublin and Tipperary v Waterford hurling semi-finals in Kilkenny for €15. Seating at Nowlan Park is unreserved and purchases on the day will cost €20. Children’s tickets for these games cost €5 and group passes for juveniles cost €3 with one accompanying adult free with every 10 children.
|
|
|
Post by MrRasherstoyou on Apr 15, 2015 8:07:19 GMT
I used to think that venues like Thurles or Cork would see much bigger support for Cork footballers in national competitions but a couple of examples proved it didn't. The league final in 1999 in PUC for example was very poorly attended. Cork had a very good side at the time, which went on to contest the All-I Final that year.
As regards the league my feeling is that a reversion to semi finals between the top 3 in Div 1 and winners of Div 2, or qtr finals between third and fourth in Div 1 and 1st and 2nd in Div 2, and then semis. It would give more incentive to finish top of your league and more novel pairings. Of course none of this helps or changes the fixture/competition structure and timing issues, which are part of the reason why the leagues continue to fail to produce the best teams/all teams playing their top game.
|
|
mandad
Senior Member
Posts: 448
|
Post by mandad on Apr 15, 2015 9:27:22 GMT
I think I’m correct in saying that the Panel of players is ‘reviewed’ after the League each year. I understand that a review has taken place and a few lads have been ‘released’ back to their clubs. No doubt that is a huge disappointment to them but it opens the door to a few others. I’m told that James is about to resume playing and is in good shape. The same with Donnadh
|
|
G_S_J
Senior Member
With greatness already assured, history now awaits.
Posts: 647
|
Post by G_S_J on Apr 15, 2015 10:18:09 GMT
I see the Clare footballers have another recruit, one of the shunned hurlers, Davy O'Halloran is the latest to jump code. That's four players from Davy Fitz's team that have decamped in the past 8 or 9 months. Hurling people in the county must be slightly embarrassed about whats been going on.
|
|
|
Post by Mickmack on Apr 15, 2015 14:12:37 GMT
Well Podge Collins opted to play with the footballers as his dad is the manager. The dad is from the football heartland on west Clare, from Kilmihil I think, so that's hardly a defection.
|
|
|
Post by Mickmack on Apr 15, 2015 14:29:57 GMT
I am reading Tong Griffins book at the minute. He was an All Star hurler with Clare in 2006 and took a year out to cycle across Canada to raise funds for Cancer as his Dad died from Cancer the previous year. He says that the decision to take a year out was made easier by the fact that the Clare camp was split between the Davy faction and the Tony Considine faction . Tony was manager and they has a bust up. Davy didn't play for Clare again. Tony Griffin rightly predicted that there would be no winners. His father was a huge influence on Tony and he explains how excited he was when Tony was called up for his first game for Clare against... Kerry in Ballyheigue. His father stood behind the goals that Clare were attacking and Tony belted over his first point for Clare into the "rough" behind the goals. His father followed the ball, searched and found it and kept it as a souvenir. He wrote the final score on the slioter. They is a page on what it means to play GAA for the club on the parish that is simply outstanding. I put Tonys name into Google as I wondered what he is doing now in 2015.. this article popped up; Tony Griffin: Learning to play the game of life
Saturday, March 14, 2015
By Larry Ryan
Former Clare hurler Tony Griffin will take part in a panel discussion next Saturday during the GAA’s second national Health & Wellbeing Conference in Croke Park. In 2011, Tony and Karl Swan set up the Soar Foundation, with its central belief that within all young people is greatness.
Q: Jim Stynes unleashed your passion for creating wellness programmes?
A: Jim’s documentary ‘Every Heart Beats True’ kind of hit me like a sledgehammer in the chest and myself and Karl decided to go to Melbourne and find out about the work Jim had pioneered with young people through GAA. Jim wasn’t far from passing away. We started with Reach, his foundation and studied what they did.
Q: What struck a chord with you?
A: With the downturn, the national narrative was so negative. And I wondered what it would be like to grow up as a young person in this country and be exposed to that level of negativity in the media and in kitchens all around the country.
What I loved about Reach was they didn’t come with answers. They didn’t come to young people saying: ‘If you do the following things you will have a successful life’. Because young people are spoken to constantly about what they should do.
A lot of young people are very, very tuned in. They are almost more connected to their own intuition than a lot of adults, because we have learned to play the game of life. They still have this beautiful openness and they are still trying to figure themselves out, let alone the game of life.
Jim created spaces that young people found really cool, really engaging and where they could take off the mask that they were wearing to fit in.
Q: Who does the Soar Foundation help?
A: Some of these kids, no one knows they are struggling because they are the captain of the hurling team or they are head debater and they just are struggling underneath. We’ve had kids that are going home to take their own life. They come into school that morning knowing it’s going to be their last day on earth.
I couldn’t count the number of times we’ve had bullies stand up and apologise to guys or girls in their class and explain the problem was within themselves.
They are often just waiting for someone to believe in them or show them what they don’t see in themselves. We usually work with fifth class, transition years. We train 18-to-27 year olds to facilitate the workshops. In certain cases, we channel the kids to organisations for counselling or aftercare.
Q: What role does sport play in what you do?
A: A massive role. A lot of our facilitators play sport. It’s a very easy connector for three or four guys to walk into a school if they play rugby or play hurling and know the story with the kids. We are working with the GPA and we are using inter-county stars to facilitate workshops on masculinity.
Q: Do you find that sometimes sport becomes a negative influence and young people struggle with the pressure?
A: We do live in a very outcome-orientated society. It’s about results and that’s very much part of sport. I was the same, I wanted to make the team, I wanted to score 1-2 a game or more. For young people now, there are very few places they can go just to be absorbed in play. But I don’t think we can take out that competitiveness. I’m actually very excited about where Ireland is. The numbers of people getting out for their run or getting into the gym for a Pilates class. It’s normal. I remember when Anthony Daly introduced Yoga in Clare, it was like tantric sex or something.
Q: One of the Soar mottos is ‘To hell what they think’. Is Ireland changing in this regard?
A: Whether it’s Conor McGregor or Paul Galvin, there are a lot of these types of role models now, unafraid of what people think of them, and willing to push boundaries. Some people dislike that, others are inspired by it. Very often the shackles that inhibit us is that fear of what THEY will think down the club or wherever. A big part of Soar is just allowing people be who you want to be. Not who your parents or your friends want you to be.
Q: Who does Tony Griffin want to be now?
A: I’d say himself. He’s still figuring that one out and he hopes that journey will never end. For me it’s absolutely not a destination. My wife and I had a baby son five weeks ago so I’ve discovered what it’s like to be a father. I would like to impact people’s lives along the way but also make space to continue on my own journey. I know that word is overused, but the more I stop looking at how I get to a certain point and just try and be where I am, the happier I seem to be.
Q: What sport are you playing at the moment?
A: I run, I got back into the gym in the last year. I do a little bit of Pilates and Yoga. I’m Dublin-based, so I don’t get down home to play as much as I’d like, but I might get re-graded and play Junior A sometime.
Q: What will stop the current crop of young Clare hurlers becoming everything they can be?
A: I absolutely don’t have the answer. But top of any list must be how you connect as a group. Do we know why we are here for each other? When individuals are intuitively in tune then the magic can happen. Secondly, it’s individuals at some point realising it’s time to find out what gets me performing at my absolute best. This is something that could be coached at a younger level. Does roaring and shouting in the dressing room get you going or does it actually put you off? You have a great day one day, not great the next and that consistency is hard to achieve.
Q: Did you find out when you were at your best?
A: I could find a way to get into a certain place that allowed me to express myself on the field. Not everyone looks at it like that. Some guys just go and play and it works. I used to wish I would be that way. But in 2006 I won an All-Star and I’m convinced it was because I tried to embrace failure as opposed to being afraid to fail.
Q: How does that work? You literally aren’t worried if you drive the first three balls wide?
A: That’s it. I didn’t mind the outcome. I tried to get myself into a place that I didn’t mind being shouted at, I didn’t mind being guilty that I’ve put a ball wide. I’m going to embrace it to see how that feels. It was a little thing I used to do and it changed my mindset. It then didn’t matter what the manager thought, or anyone thought. It didn’t even matter what I thought of myself. I was independent of it all. It’s kind of an abstract concept, but it worked for me.
* The Soar Foundation is an 100% independently-funded organisation that always needs your support. Visit www.soar.ie to donate and find out about
|
|
G_S_J
Senior Member
With greatness already assured, history now awaits.
Posts: 647
|
Post by G_S_J on Apr 16, 2015 12:50:02 GMT
Well Podge Collins opted to play with the footballers as his dad is the manager. The dad is from the football heartland on west Clare, from Kilmihil I think, so that's hardly a defection. We'll if you're going to nit pick, I didn't say they deflected. You could have also spared me the back story...
|
|
|
Post by glengael on Apr 16, 2015 14:18:36 GMT
Well Podge Collins opted to play with the footballers as his dad is the manager. The dad is from the football heartland on west Clare, from Kilmihil I think, so that's hardly a defection. We'll if you're going to nit pick, I didn't say they deflected. You could have also spared me the back story... That's a bit unfair I think. Mickmack was putting Paudege Collins' decision to play football into context. One line is hardly excessive in that respect.
|
|
|
Post by southward on Apr 16, 2015 19:29:33 GMT
Just so you know..
Football Championship Referees Panel 2015 Ciaran Branagan (Down) Barry Cassidy (Derry) David Coldrick (Meath) Maurice Deegan (Laois) Marty Duffy (Sligo) David Gough (Meath) Rory Hickey (Clare) Pádraig Hughes (Armagh) Seán Hurson (Tyrone) Fergal Kelly (Longford) Eddie Kinsella (Laois) Conor Lane (Cork) Patrick Neilan (Roscommon) Anthony Nolan (Wicklow) Cormac Reilly (Meath) Joe McQuillan (Cavan) Pádraig O’Sullivan (Kerry) Derek O’Mahoney (Tipperary)
Hurling Championship Referees Panel 2015 Brian Gavin (Offaly) Fergal Horgan (Tipperary) John Keenan (Wicklow) Alan Kelly (Galway) Barry Kelly (Westmeath) Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork) Colm Lyons (Cork) Cathal McAllister (Cork) James McGrath (Westmeath) Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow) James Owens (Wexford) Johnny Ryan (Tipperary)
|
|
G_S_J
Senior Member
With greatness already assured, history now awaits.
Posts: 647
|
Post by G_S_J on Apr 17, 2015 9:21:00 GMT
We'll if you're going to nit pick, I didn't say they deflected. You could have also spared me the back story... That's a bit unfair I think. Mickmack was putting Paudege Collins' decision to play football into context. One line is hardly excessive in that respect. The point I was making is Clare hurling fans must think its a farce that all these hurlers are leaving to play for the footballers, a far less successful side. I wasn't touching the reasons why.
|
|
|
Post by buck02 on Apr 17, 2015 11:56:13 GMT
Just so you know.. Football Championship Referees Panel 2015 Ciaran Branagan (Down) Barry Cassidy (Derry) David Coldrick (Meath) Maurice Deegan (Laois) Marty Duffy (Sligo) David Gough (Meath) Rory Hickey (Clare) Pádraig Hughes (Armagh) Seán Hurson (Tyrone) Fergal Kelly (Longford) Eddie Kinsella (Laois) Conor Lane (Cork) Patrick Neilan (Roscommon) Anthony Nolan (Wicklow) Cormac Reilly (Meath) Joe McQuillan (Cavan) Pádraig O’Sullivan (Kerry) Derek O’Mahoney (Tipperary) Hurling Championship Referees Panel 2015 Brian Gavin (Offaly) Fergal Horgan (Tipperary) John Keenan (Wicklow) Alan Kelly (Galway) Barry Kelly (Westmeath) Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork) Colm Lyons (Cork) Cathal McAllister (Cork) James McGrath (Westmeath) Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow) James Owens (Wexford) Johnny Ryan (Tipperary) Reminds me of the line-up in the film, The Usual Suspects. And Joe McQuillan is surely Keyser Soze. A few new names. The guy from Wicklow played inter-county a couple of years ago and is highly regarded apparently. I've never heard of the guys from Tyrone or Derry. And congrats to Padraig O Sullivan on making the panel. One thing that struck me on the hurling refs - if Cork are playing Tipp this summer then there are only 7 referees to choose from.
|
|
|
Post by MrRasherstoyou on Apr 18, 2015 9:24:51 GMT
It was always going to be very difficult for a team like Clare hurlers to follow up on their 2013 achievement. That year a young, dashing side burst through from the qualifiers, produced an outstanding semi-final performance to blow away a fancied Limerick team, and followed up with two brilliantly attacking performances against an experienced and battle-hardened Cork team in the final. And all of that with a coach/manager who many strongly doubted had the right attributes to lead a team to ultimate glories.
The plaudits they received for that were huge, and they even got voted "team of the year" at one of the awards (which was probably not merited in any reasonable analysis). Naturally enough, the world lay at their feet, so to speak. But there were always the difficult realities of sporting life at this level that were either brushed over or ignored in all the coverage:
How does such a young side, and furthermore a side that had so suddenly reached the top of their sphere, cope with what they have done and the impact of it? How do they follow it up? And how would their unique, often apparently volatile manager (and his other backroom staff) deal with it? How could a team that had no appreciable level of previous senior success/milestones deal with having reached the top? All of it hinged on the fact that the experience of great underage success could sustain them.
The team started the nat league of 2014 quite well but tapered off. I would have felt they needed a good, very competitive league to help cement their position, though a struggle to produce high performance in the months following an All-I win is nothing new. However in Clare's case, the fact that the previous years they had no great form with success in the league, and furthermore hadn't come close to winning their provincial championship meant, for me, that their All-I win was infused with an element of the 'fairytale' and a sense of a risk of it being a 'one-hit wonder', an almost freak occurrence. In other words I would imagine that Clare hurlers surely deep down no mater what people say had some sense of needing to prove something, and not just following up with another strong All-I championship performance.
This for me then added a little emphasis to what I would have felt was a very important Munster championship for Clare last year, that they needed to put in a very strong level of performance, and probably to reach a final at least. This didn't materialise, and subsequently no improvement in performance emerg3ed in the qualifiers. The All-I champions lost to Wexford, an improving side but who nonetheless are/were not close to Clare's (potential, at this stage) level.
To summarise last year can only have put a lot of doubts in the minds of Clare snr hurlers about whether they could ever even come close to re-visiting the heights of the latter part of the 2013 All-I C. AT best it was a big, very big wake-up call. And one that required of them to show serious signs of improvement early this year. Again, it didn't happen. Whilst they eventually fought very hard to retain Div 1 status, and were very close to doing so, it was too little too late.
Not surprisingly at all internal divisions and disputes etc have now surfaced. Who knows whether this is a sign of healthy change and crisis-resolution or of things further falling apart, at the very least for Davy Fitz's tenure. This summer has now become a massive crux period for that team/squad (and management). Whatever about Davy, this is shaping up to be a classic case of a very talented young group who possibly achieved almost too much, too soon, without a balanced and hard-earned basis/foundations, and who are either unable to rediscover their short peak period, and/or deal with the trappings and dangers of success and celebrity, and/or to fully understand what they did and didn't achieve in 2013, and/or have lost/never achieved any true sense of belief in themselves as the best team in Ireland (ie that they believe they still have a lot to prove but are hamstrung by never yet having actually reached a stage of belief in proving themselves fully)
In conclusion I fear that this exciting, thrilling bunch of players are quite lost in terms of knowing where they are, and where they want to or can go from here. Will they continue like this and fade into obscurity with, maybe at best, just occasional flashes of that all-too short-glimpsed brilliance and near-greatness of 2 years ago? They need very soon to discover belief and ravenous hunger to prove themselves. If not then it could well be too late to keep the bond, the team, the faith, the direction and so on.
They will remain a very talented bunch of players but we all know that this is no guarantee of success in team sports. I really hope they find a way, hurling badly needs them to be the next great team.
|
|
|
Post by stevieq on Apr 18, 2015 10:35:43 GMT
I hope I'm not being presumptios but the wife is on about booking a holiday in August. At this stage I would hope that we willl make a semi final. I've watched too many semi finals in Irish pubs. Munster v Ulster on 23 August Leinster v Connaught on 30 August No matter who wins the Munster final - Is it safe to say that it's a mathematical impossibility that Kerrry and Cork can meet in the AI final and that if Kerry are still around at the end of August that they will have to be playing on Sunday 23rd. Any ideas.
|
|
|
Post by Mickmack on Apr 18, 2015 11:40:10 GMT
I hope I'm not being presumptios but the wife is on about booking a holiday in August. At this stage I would hope that we willl make a semi final. I've watched too many semi finals in Irish pubs. Munster v Ulster on 23 August Leinster v Connaught on 30 August No matter who wins the Munster final - Is it safe to say that it's a mathematical impossibility that Kerrry and Cork can meet in the AI final and that if Kerry are still around at the end of August that they will have to be playing on Sunday 23rd. Any ideas. Here is my understanding ..... The Munster finalistS cant meet in the AI final. If Kerry win the Munster Final and then win the QF, they will be playing the semi final on 23/8/2015 if your post above is accurate as regards Munster meeting Ulster on 23/8/2015. If Cork win the Munster final, then Keryy must play an extra game before the QF. If they win those two games, they will end up in the same place as if they had won Munster and won the QF... playing the semi final on the 23rd August. The loser of Munster will probably meet the winners of the Ulster championship in the QF and that could well be Donegal and they will be serving a cold dish!!!
|
|