Maigh Eo -v- Doire, Ballina, 01.02.2009

[lynchbhoy]

Normally i'd definitely be down for the game, usually like to go come down the night before a league game for a few scoops but lost the job just before Christmas. Now it's a case of seeing if I can cadge a lift down on the day which shouldn't be a problem but the pintage is no  longer an option. Still it's nice to watch a game without a hangover.

sorry to hear that fox
best of luck in getting a new one...

[dungiven]

Derrys problem is that the 4 Queens players are still with Queens, they play the semifinal on thursday night, and another with St Marys, and haven't been with Derry. Muldoon, Mc Cusker, Lynch and Mc Cloy all injured. Plus add in a host of new faces and what you get is a balls up created by the gaa hierarchy which prevented teams from training in December and a team like Derry with a new manager is left to piuck up the pieces.

Are Collie Devlin and Kevin McGuckin not injured aswell?

Its going to be a very new look side against Mayo.. missing those 4, hinphey in austrailia, the 4 ballinderry boys that were left out and possibly Paddy Bradley and Gerard O'Kane not fit enough to start.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Is Paddy Bradley home from Oz? I met him in Sydney and he said he wasn't coming back until towards the end of February!

[screenexile]

Anyone find out he Panel yet? What 4 from Queen's are in? Kielt, McBride, O'Kane and who else?

[m@yoman]

I don't see Mayo doing much in the League this year.....I think we are lacking a lot of leaders in key areas of the park (apart from Clarke in goals of course) and this was very evident in our last proper match against Tyrone.....

Should be a decent match all the same...by the sounds of previous Derry posters they are re-building too...

[moysider]

I'm not sure what we should be expecting from this game and the league in general.

If we were to field a team like this:
Clarke
A Higgins D Heaney L O'Malley
P Gardiner J Nallen T Cunniffe
R McGarrity T Parsons
B Padden A Dillon T Mortimer
C Mortimer A O'Malley A Moran

We might actually do well in the league and achieve some decent enough results but we all know thats not a team thats going to cut it in the championship.

Therefore we need to look at experimentation imho and while results will be important, I would not worry about going far in the league. Keep our Division 1 status and bring in new players who will be ready for championship, that would be the ideal.

For the Derry game I'd like to see a team like the following picked

D Clarke
K McLoughlin G Cafferkey S Drake
P Gardiner P Kelly D Vaughan
B Kelly T Parsons
A Moran A Dillon T Mortimer
C Mortimer B Moran M Sweeney.

I d go along with that Sniper. I d like to see Colm Cafferkey get a shot in a league match as well. He s always done well any time I ve seen him but never seems to get a chance outside FBD. Now I even know an Achill man who s not convinced he has the quality but I m not so sure. He s earned a shot anyway. Pat Kelly s best position is probably 6 but its also probably Ger Cafferkey s best position. A bit like Heaney in the past. I hope he s not ruined at full back( he does nt have the size for the really big forwards). Remember he s yet to play a senior competitive game and there s an expectation out there that he ll solve everything. My concern is he may struggle at fb, lose confidence and end up ruined. As a half back he wold be a top player but like Keith Higgins and Heaney before him we might not have the luxury of playing him there. I still hold out great hopes for Barry Moran either as ff or mf. Andy has it all to do this year. Barry Regan should improve options in ff line.

[moysider]

I don't see Mayo doing much in the League this year.....I think we are lacking a lot of leaders in key areas of the park (apart from Clarke in goals of course) and this was very evident in our last proper match against Tyrone.....

Should be a decent match all the same...by the sounds of previous Derry posters they are re-building too...

The 'word on the street' is that Mayo are in fact going to push very hard for the whole shooting match in the league. Maybe Johnno is expecting a summer election and wants something to wave in front of the electorate.

The team started the 'run until someone pukes' sessions with Kielty in the new year. While Pat Flanagan back in Kerry and Tyrone management will be gearing training so the team peaks  late Summer,( Tyrone s trick is to survive playing harder games without peaking too soon - they know if they peak early they ll be flat and gone in August anyway) Mayo will be flying in league and dead on their feet come Summer. It s happened last two years yet the same training personnel and methods continue to be used. Compare Andy Moran s Spring and Summer form. Now in his case the problem was confounded by Sigerson training as well, I accept that. He appears to have learned his lesson. But we seem to be using a training programme that is no longer... how can I put this nicely...... cutting edge in the world of athletic preparation.

[mannix]

Peaking?
Kerry are able to win sam and the league in one year so peaking must be a kerry thing.

[Bogball XV]

Is Paddy Bradley home from Oz? I met him in Sydney and he said he wasn't coming back until towards the end of February!

They were summoned early, desperate times and desperate measures (though apparently it was the desperate measures that were the real problem, they were fed up drinking )

[lynchbhoy]

Peaking?
Kerry are able to win sam and the league in one year so peaking must be a kerry thing.

not always
theres more competition around these days too !

[RedandGreenSniper]

I d go along with that Sniper. I d like to see Colm Cafferkey get a shot in a league match as well. He s always done well any time I ve seen him but never seems to get a chance outside FBD. Now I even know an Achill man who s not convinced he has the quality but I m not so sure. He s earned a shot anyway. Pat Kelly s best position is probably 6 but its also probably Ger Cafferkey s best position. A bit like Heaney in the past. I hope he s not ruined at full back( he does nt have the size for the really big forwards). Remember he s yet to play a senior competitive game and there s an expectation out there that he ll solve everything. My concern is he may struggle at fb, lose confidence and end up ruined. As a half back he wold be a top player but like Keith Higgins and Heaney before him we might not have the luxury of playing him there. I still hold out great hopes for Barry Moran either as ff or mf. Andy has it all to do this year. Barry Regan should improve options in ff line.

I know what you're saying about Ger Caff moysider. I've seen him play wing-back and I don't doubt he could make a good centre-half back. But he has been performing well at 3 and needs must I guess. I'd say he'll get a run in the league and if it doesn't work out, then it doesn't work out. He's played all his inter-county football at full-back so he shouldn't be too daunted by it.
Colm Cafferkey might have earned a shot in the league alright but I think he's just shy of the standard. But a relevant question is - would he be a better corner-back than Colm Boyle? Yes!
Not sure about Barry at midfield but I believe he's doing well at full-forward and I'd hope that's the way forward with him. I reckon Andy got a shoe up the hole last year and its shit or get off the pot time for him.

[Oak Leafer]

Allianz National Football League Panel 2009 
Damian Cassidy names his panel for the upcoming Allianz National Football League campaign, which commences with an away game to Mayo, Sunday 1st February.
Sean Marty Lockhart embarks on a remarkable 15th league campaign, while nine new players get their first call up to the league squad, some on the back of an impressive McKenna Cup campaign.

Full squad
John Deighan  Limavady
Barry Gillis  Magherafelt 
Shane Mc Guckian  Loup St. Patricks GAC 
Eoin Bradley  Glenullin John Mitchell's
Paddy Bradley  Glenullin John Mitchell's
Patsy Bradley  Slaughtneil Robert Emmet's 
Paul Bradley  Slaughtneil Robert Emmet's
Seamus Bradley  Ballinascreen St Colm's
Eoghan Brown  Bellaghy Wolfe Tones
Paul Carton  Banagher St Mary's
James Conway  Balinderry Shamrocks
Colly Devlin  Balinderry Shamrocks
Ryan Dillon  Swatragh Michael Davitts
Joe Diver  Bellaghy Wolfe Tones
Fergal Doherty  Bellaghy Wolfe Tones
James Kielt  Kilrea Pearses
Sean Marty Lockhart  Banagher St Mary's
Mark Lynch    Banagher St Mary's
Enda Lynn  Greenlough St Oliver Plunkett's 
Brian Og Mc Alary  Kilrea Pearses
Dermot Mc Bride  Ballinascreen St Colm's
Kevin Mc Cloy  Lavey
Niall Mc Cusker  Balinderry Shamrocks
Barry Mc Goldrick  Coleraine Eoghan Roes
Sean Leo Mc Goldrick  Coleraine Eoghan Roes
Kevin Mc Guckian  Balinderry Shamrocks
Barry Mc Guigan  Slaughtneil Robert Emmet's
Chrissy Mc Kaigue  Slaughtneil Robert Emmet's
Enda Muldoon  Balinderry Shamrocks 
Brain Mullan  Glenullin John Mitchell's
Paul Murphy  Dungiven St Canices
Gerard O'Kane  Glenullin John Mitchell's
Joe O'Kane  Loup St. Patricks GAC 
Paul Young  Loup St. Patricks GAC

[RedandGreenSniper]

No Conleth Gilligan?

[Oak Leafer]

No Conleith Gilligan. Retired from inter county football. Good squad. A lot of unknowns at this level though

[IolarCoisCuain]

Maybe Johnno is expecting a summer election and wants something to wave in front of the electorate.

You must be one of those cynics that I've heard about Moysider.