"We're a young team...."

Started by Lone Shark, March 21, 2014, 06:33:54 PM

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Lone Shark

...I noticed Paul Bealin using this excuse at the weekend after Tyrone beat Westmeath comprehensively at the weekend. He claimed that his team's average age is 22/23 and so Tyrone are further ahead in their development - the latter part is true, but I'm not sure age has anything to do with it - I make the average age of the Westmeath team that started that game to be 24.7, which may be young or old depending on your point of view, but I suspect is not out of kilter with the norm in this day and age.

Hence for pig iron, I thought I'd ask the question - what is the average age of an intercounty football team these days? It doesn't need to be scientific, but we've a lot of counties on here - if everyone takes their own county team, picks a starting lineup from either last year's championship or one of this year's league games if ye were at full strength, and go the ages and the average. If we get over half the counties, then we have something worth going on.

I just think this is an easy excuse that a lot of managers wheel out, and while it's sometimes justified, in a lot of cases there are other reasons. Certainly I couldn't understand Paul Bealin saying it, after all his team had just lost an away game to Tyrone - it's not the result he would have wanted, but they are playing in some really good company right now. Results like that are part of the terrain when you play in division one.

Anyway, like I said, by my estimate the Westmeath team that started and their ages (in a lot of cases based on when they played minor or under-21, so not an exact science!)

Darren Quinn      24
Stephen Gilmore      22
Kieran Gavin      25
Kevin Maguire      23
Paul Sharry      25
John Gilligan      24
Jamie Gonoud      22
David Duffy      27
David McCormack      22
Callum McCormack      23
Ger Egan      23
Kieran Martin      24
Denis Glennon      29
James Dolan      24
Des Dolan      34

Average = 24.7

Now the Offaly team that started the game against Longford (a must win game, all under-21s were available for selection, the only notable injury absentee was Brian Darby)

Alan Mulhall      31   
David Hanlon      22   
Paul McConway      27   
Daithi Brady      26   ?
Michael Brazil      23   
John Moloney      24   
Niall Darby      28   
Eoin Carroll      19   
Niall Smith      28   
Conor McNamee      19   
Anton Sullivan      23   
Padraig Sullivan      24   ?
Peter Cunningham      20   
Niall McNamee      29   
Ciarán Hurley      22   

There's actually a couple I'm not sure about in there, but I'm not too far off anyway. Average age 24.3.

Keep em coming people.

AFS

#1
Probably Armagh's best 15 if all were fit:

McEvoy - 31
A Mallon - 31
Donaghy - 26
Morgan - 22
A Kernan - 30
McKeever - 31
Shields - 25
Harold - 25
E Rafferty - 19
T Kernan - 27
Dyas - 25
C Rafferty - 23
Clarke - 24
Campbell - 22
A Forker - 21

Average age = 25.1

Might be out a year on a few of the above ages, but I'd say it's pretty close. The absences of Kernan and McKeever throughout the league has probably brought that down a bit, particular with the likes of Findon (20), Grugan (22) and Hughes (23?) coming in as replacements.

Dinny Breen

Team v Kerry last week

S Connolly 24
M O'Grady 23
M Foley 30
F Conway 20
K Cribben 26
K Murnaghan 28
P Cribben 21
T Moolick 21
G White 26
C McNally 26
E O'Flaherty 26
S Hurley 21
P Brophy 20
T O'Connor 28
D Mulhall 22

Average 22.4 - a couple I'm not sure about, out by a year at most.
#newbridgeornowhere

ck

Every team in the country is young these days. Not many counties with average age over 24/25

Syferus

Roscommon are so young our starting FB is still in the womb.

JP

Quote from: Dinny Breen on March 21, 2014, 10:38:13 PM
Team v Kerry last week

S Connolly 24
M O'Grady 23
M Foley 30
F Conway 20
K Cribben 26
K Murnaghan 28
P Cribben 21
T Moolick 21
G White 26
C McNally 26
E O'Flaherty 26
S Hurley 21
P Brophy 20
T O'Connor 28
D Mulhall 22

Average 22.4 - a couple I'm not sure about, out by a year at most.

Maths a bit out there. Average age is 24.1

Sidney

The following teams shall be referred to by the following names from now on.

Westmeath: Bealin's Babes
Kildare: Ryan's Runts
Kerry: Fitzy's Fledglings
Cork: Cuthbert's Chisellers
Antrim: Bradley's Bambinos (formerly White's Whippersnappers)
Dublin hurlers: Daly's Dumplings


From the Bunker

Mayo's starting line up has to be one of the oldest in the country.

Cillian O'Connor is the only one under 24?

mylestheslasher

The "young team" excuse is easy enough to explain, its about deflecting pressure away from your players by saying they are young and so will improve. The player thinks, I'm only 23 so I can improve. Everyone is using it these days. Remember, when a manager is giving an interview he is doing it for his players not the fans or the media.

IolarCoisCuain

We know that Myles, and what Westmeath are doing with him in charge is beyond baffling. But for the sake of science, such as it is, here are the ages of the combatants in last year's All-Ireland Football Final, from the program.

Dublin

Cluxton31
McMahon26
O'Carroll23
Cooper23
McCarthy23
Brennan28
McCaffrey19
McAuley27
O'Sullivan25
Flynn27
Kilkenny20
Connolly26
Mannion20
Andrews25
B Brogan29
Average age of 24.8

Mayo

Hennelly23
Cunniffe26
Cafferkey26
Barrett26
Keegan23
Vaughan24
Boyle27
A O'Shea23
S O'Shea26
McLoughlin24
Higgins28
Dillon29
O'Connor21
Freeman24
Moran29
Average age of 25.2

No real difference between them.

Blowitupref

Quote from: From the Bunker on March 22, 2014, 08:35:50 AM
Mayo's starting line up has to be one of the oldest in the country.

Cillian O'Connor is the only one under 24?

Adam Gallagher going to be a championship starter? Mayo are now a seasoned team and thats advantage over most of the sides the face.
Is the ref going to finally blow his whistle?... No, he's going to blow his nose

From the Bunker

#11
Quote from: IolarCoisCuain on March 22, 2014, 01:20:13 PM
We know that Myles, and what Westmeath are doing with him in charge is beyond baffling. But for the sake of science, such as it is, here are the ages of the combatants in last year's All-Ireland Football Final, from the program.

Dublin

Cluxton31
McMahon26
O'Carroll23
Cooper23
McCarthy23
Brennan28
McCaffrey19
McAuley27
O'Sullivan25
Flynn27
Kilkenny20
Connolly26
Mannion20
Andrews25
B Brogan29
Average age of 24.8

Mayo

Hennelly23
Cunniffe26
Cafferkey26
Barrett26
Keegan23
Vaughan24
Boyle27
A O'Shea23
S O'Shea26
McLoughlin24
Higgins28
Dillon29
O'Connor21
Freeman24
Moran29
Average age of 25.2

No real difference between them.

Mayo won an under 21 AI title in 2006 that's 8 years ago, six of the above were on that team. 19, 20 and 21 year olds would be 27,28 and 29 today. Dillon is 31 and will be 32 at the end of the year. Andy Moran is older than 29, he played minor in 2001.

Stall the Bailer

Out of interest, who is the oldest county player playing? Jonny Doyle?

larryin89

Quote from: IolarCoisCuain on March 22, 2014, 01:20:13 PM
We know that Myles, and what Westmeath are doing with him in charge is beyond baffling. But for the sake of science, such as it is, here are the ages of the combatants in last year's All-Ireland Football Final, from the program.

Dublin

Cluxton31
McMahon26
O'Carroll23
Cooper23
McCarthy23
Brennan28
McCaffrey19
McAuley27
O'Sullivan25
Flynn27
Kilkenny20
Connolly26
Mannion20
Andrews25
B Brogan29
Average age of 24.8

Mayo

Hennelly23
Cunniffe26
Cafferkey26
Barrett26
Keegan23
Vaughan24
Boyle27
A O'Shea23
S O'Shea26
McLoughlin24
Higgins28
Dillon29
O'Connor21
Freeman24
Moran29
Average age of 25.2

No real difference between them.

Looking at the ages you have the Mayo team there, I think you're a year out in all of them, maybe I'm wrong.
Walk-in down mchale rd , sun out, summers day , game day . That's all .

screenexile

Quote from: Stall the Bailer on March 22, 2014, 09:11:39 PM
Out of interest, who is the oldest county player playing? Jonny Doyle?

Barden of Longford?