Retirements

[Tony Baloney]

Seems quite young to retire at 33 but I suppose the game is like that these days. That performance he gave in the ai club final , against castle bar was it?, has to be one of the best individual performances ever.

The training and lifestyle for these lads at the top is relentless and he has nothing left to prove so I'm sure he's ready for a break.

[Rossfan]

Adrian Marren after 16 years with Sligo.

I thought there might have been a lot more as lads got used to life without 31 hours a week of football/hurling.

[StephenC]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqcEq1hsT6s&ab_channel=PaulByrne

One of the most dangerous acts I've seen on a football pitch. Could easily have broken that mans neck.

Gifted but filthy.

[Cunny Funt]

Seems quite young to retire at 33 but I suppose the game is like that these days. That performance he gave in the ai club final , against castle bar was it?, has to be one of the best individual performances ever.

The training and lifestyle for these lads at the top is relentless and he has nothing left to prove so I'm sure he's ready for a break.

Had a 2 year break away before returning last year. Nothing left to prove and had enough of the country scene.

Plenty of retirements in recent weeks, it seems this winter knock out championship isn't all that appealing. Adrian Marren at his peak was a top forward a happy retirement to him also.

[rodney trotter]

Connolly wasn't part of the panel earlier in the year for the a league. Retirement might have been on his mind a while.
He was a class player but I don't think Gavin needed to bring him back into the panel  late last year.  They were going well without him, he looked off the pace when he came on v Jerry, bar the one pass whether he meant it or not..

Brogan was training hard all year after coming back from a ccruciate and missed out. There was probably other panel members annoyed too.

[Hound]

Connolly wasn't part of the panel earlier in the year for the a league. Retirement might have been on his mind a while.
He was a class player but I don't think Gavin needed to bring him back into the panel  late last year.  They were going well without him, he looked off the pace when he came on v Jerry, bar the one pass whether he meant it or not..

Brogan was training hard all year after coming back from a ccruciate and missed out. There was probably other panel members annoyed too.

Even Bernard briefly mentioned this on the Newstalk podcast recently. Albeit he avoided directly mentioning Diarmuid.

But it's a complete nonsense. Dublin were a little short at half forward / midfield towards the middle/end of the season. An area where Diarmuid could fill in and Bernard couldn't.  It was Bugler and O'Cofaigh Byrne who Connolly usurped, and you'd do well to find more than a handful of Dubs who'd say we should have brought on one of them instead of Dermo when Howard and McCaffrey were taken off in the finals last year

Bernard was up against Costello, KevMac and Paddy Small, and I think can consider himself lucky that Jim decided to put four inside forwards on the bench for the replay

Bernard and Diarmuid play in different positions so were not in direct competition with each other.

Diarmuid was magnificent. Best Dublin outfield player of his era in my opinion (albeit I'd expect Fenton to pass him out in my opinion by the time he's finished). This is worth a look:

https://www.facebook.com/mauricewalshphotography/videos/1127587487362181/

[Taylor]

Connolly wasn't part of the panel earlier in the year for the a league. Retirement might have been on his mind a while.
He was a class player but I don't think Gavin needed to bring him back into the panel  late last year.  They were going well without him, he looked off the pace when he came on v Jerry, bar the one pass whether he meant it or not..

Brogan was training hard all year after coming back from a ccruciate and missed out. There was probably other panel members annoyed too.

Even Bernard briefly mentioned this on the Newstalk podcast recently. Albeit he avoided directly mentioning Diarmuid.

But it's a complete nonsense. Dublin were a little short at half forward / midfield towards the middle/end of the season. An area where Diarmuid could fill in and Bernard couldn't.  It was Bugler and O'Cofaigh Byrne who Connolly usurped, and you'd do well to find more than a handful of Dubs who'd say we should have brought on one of them instead of Dermo when Howard and McCaffrey were taken off in the finals last year

Bernard was up against Costello, KevMac and Paddy Small, and I think can consider himself lucky that Jim decided to put four inside forwards on the bench for the replay

Bernard and Diarmuid play in different positions so were not in direct competition with each other.

Diarmuid was magnificent. Best Dublin outfield player of his era in my opinion (albeit I'd expect Fenton to pass him out in my opinion by the time he's finished). This is worth a look:

https://www.facebook.com/mauricewalshphotography/videos/1127587487362181/

He mentioned him directly in his book

[Cunny Funt]

Connolly wasn't part of the panel earlier in the year for the a league. Retirement might have been on his mind a while.
He was a class player but I don't think Gavin needed to bring him back into the panel  late last year.  They were going well without him, he looked off the pace when he came on v Jerry, bar the one pass whether he meant it or not..

Brogan was training hard all year after coming back from a ccruciate and missed out. There was probably other panel members annoyed too.

Even Bernard briefly mentioned this on the Newstalk podcast recently. Albeit he avoided directly mentioning Diarmuid.

But it's a complete nonsense. Dublin were a little short at half forward / midfield towards the middle/end of the season. An area where Diarmuid could fill in and Bernard couldn't.  It was Bugler and O'Cofaigh Byrne who Connolly usurped, and you'd do well to find more than a handful of Dubs who'd say we should have brought on one of them instead of Dermo when Howard and McCaffrey were taken off in the finals last year

Bernard was up against Costello, KevMac and Paddy Small, and I think can consider himself lucky that Jim decided to put four inside forwards on the bench for the replay

Bernard and Diarmuid play in different positions so were not in direct competition with each other.

Diarmuid was magnificent. Best Dublin outfield player of his era in my opinion (albeit I'd expect Fenton to pass him out in my opinion by the time he's finished). This is worth a look:

https://www.facebook.com/mauricewalshphotography/videos/1127587487362181/

He mentioned him directly in his book

Out of interest what was the direct quote in that book?

[rodney trotter]

There was a write up in the Sunday Independent with quotes from Brogans book. I thought Hound being a Dub would be aware of that..

[Hound]

There was a write up in the Sunday Independent with quotes from Brogans book. I thought Hound being a Dub would be aware of that..

Would never read the Sindo!

Point still stands though that Diarmuid getting recalled had no impact on Bernard, because they play different positions. Bernard cannot play out the field, that's where Dublin were short, that's why Connolly was recalled.

I forgot Paddy Andrews being ahead of Brogan too. He could rightly moan that the 2 Paddys, Costello and Kev Mac all got more chances than he did to stake his claim (and O'Gara was behind them all). But managers have to make tough decisions and last year we happened to have a lot of depth in the full forward line,  not to mention that the incumbents Rock, Con and Mannion were always playing well enough to retain their starting positions.

[dublin7]

Connolly wasn't part of the panel earlier in the year for the a league. Retirement might have been on his mind a while.
He was a class player but I don't think Gavin needed to bring him back into the panel  late last year.  They were going well without him, he looked off the pace when he came on v Jerry, bar the one pass whether he meant it or not..

Brogan was training hard all year after coming back from a ccruciate and missed out. There was probably other panel members annoyed too.

Even Bernard briefly mentioned this on the Newstalk podcast recently. Albeit he avoided directly mentioning Diarmuid.

But it's a complete nonsense. Dublin were a little short at half forward / midfield towards the middle/end of the season. An area where Diarmuid could fill in and Bernard couldn't.  It was Bugler and O'Cofaigh Byrne who Connolly usurped, and you'd do well to find more than a handful of Dubs who'd say we should have brought on one of them instead of Dermo when Howard and McCaffrey were taken off in the finals last year

Bernard was up against Costello, KevMac and Paddy Small, and I think can consider himself lucky that Jim decided to put four inside forwards on the bench for the replay

Bernard and Diarmuid play in different positions so were not in direct competition with each other.

Diarmuid was magnificent. Best Dublin outfield player of his era in my opinion (albeit I'd expect Fenton to pass him out in my opinion by the time he's finished). This is worth a look:

https://www.facebook.com/mauricewalshphotography/videos/1127587487362181/

He mentioned him directly in his book

Out of interest what was the direct quote in that book?

Having read Brogan's book his problem for last 2 years was he tried to turn himself into a team player rather than a scorer. When he realised that wasn't working with the management he went back to being a shooter in training near the end of last season and that got him a place on the bench. He didn't have a problem with Dermo coming back.

H knew himself Rock. Mannion & Con were ahead of him and he was competing with the likes of O'Gara, Andrews & Costello for a place on the bench

[J70]

It was a shit day for the Dubs, but Connolly scored two of the best individual points I've ever seen in the 2014 semi against Donegal, weaving his way through three or four tackles each time before finishing one with his left (first half), the other with his right (second half). Got a couple more nice long range ones in the first half too during that early period when everything the Dubs hit was sailing over.

[Manning18]

I loved watching Connolly as much as anyone but it's a bit perverse really that he's getting so much more fanfare for retiring than say his counterpart Bernard Brogan. Yes Connolly was much more talented and easy on the eye but you'd be off your rocker to say he was a better player for Dublin. I'd say he had about 60% worth of Brogans contribution over the years.

We're a strange society, we gravitate far more to natural talent than people who max out their ability. I suppose cos the former is more rare

[JoG2]

Connolly was one of those elite players from other counties you loved seeing on the pitch, like Cooper, Stevie O'Neill, Joyce. Players who could turn a game with an injection of magic. Superb footballer

[BennyCake]

Connolly was one of those elite players from other counties you loved seeing on the pitch, like Cooper, Stevie O'Neill, Joyce. Players who could turn a game with an injection of magic. Superb footballer

Connolly was so overrated. Only thing of note I seen him do was that goal in the club final. I never seen him turn a game the way those others did, especially the first two.