If Jamie doesn't care why should anyone else?

[Cold tea]

Fuzzman, give Donegal players another season or so, and I reckon some of them will go off travelling. Three years hard training/football in a row is a bit much for any player. Cross will be going for three years, hence why Jamie is off.

McFadden and Devenney took the 2006 season off. We were stretched without them, but squad players like Rory Kavanagh took advantage of their chance and made their mark. We were actually unlucky to lose the Ulster Final (steps ref!  ) and only lost an AI quarter final to Cork by a last minute point in a game we really should have won.

Its a 15 man game. Armagh people shouldn't write their team off just yet (at least not anymore than they would have had Clarke been available!).

It's a squad game 15 men won't bring home anything on their own - and who are all these Armagh people writing their team off?

[mackers]

There's some helliously defensive thinking going on in this thread if you think the critical commentery of the situation for Armagh is a wind-up.

The only poster to mention a wind up is a Tyrone man!! Syferus you spend a lot of your time commenting on Armagh threads...you're the equivalent of EC Unique on the Liverpool thread. Jamie Clarke is not paid by Armagh GAA so therefore Armagh GAA can not tie him to the county for the next year, if he wants to go travelling there is f all squared Armagh can do about it!!  Believe me if they cudda, they wudda!! You're reading way too much into his decision.

[J70]

Fuzzman, give Donegal players another season or so, and I reckon some of them will go off travelling. Three years hard training/football in a row is a bit much for any player. Cross will be going for three years, hence why Jamie is off.

McFadden and Devenney took the 2006 season off. We were stretched without them, but squad players like Rory Kavanagh took advantage of their chance and made their mark. We were actually unlucky to lose the Ulster Final (steps ref!  ) and only lost an AI quarter final to Cork by a last minute point in a game we really should have won.

Its a 15 man game. Armagh people shouldn't write their team off just yet (at least not anymore than they would have had Clarke been available!).

It's a squad game 15 men won't bring home anything on their own - and who are all these Armagh people writing their team off?

Yes, obviously for the first part... the point was that he is only ONE player amongst many.

And looking back over the thread, perhaps it is not Armagh people so much as others dismissing their chances.

[Armamike]

Feck this.  It's an awful kick in the balls for Grimley in his first year as manager, when he's trying to build something.  This is just symptomatic of a bigger malaise in the county set up with too many players lining up to make themselves unavailable the past year or 2.  Funny how around the late 90s and early 2000s we didn't have too many players opting out to go travelling, spending time on a fledgling business or tending to the garden. I'm pretty gutted with the fact that the last few years we can't get the best pool of talent in the county pulling together. And if Cross get through Ulster it's another year with a core group of players lost to the county effectively.

[INDIANA]

Feck this.  It's an awful kick in the balls for Grimley in his first year as manager, when he's trying to build something.  This is just symptomatic of a bigger malaise in the county set up with too many players lining up to make themselves unavailable the past year or 2.  Funny how around the late 90s and early 2000s we didn't have too many players opting out to go travelling, spending time on a fledgling business or tending to the garden. I'm pretty gutted with the fact that the last few years we can't get the best pool of talent in the county pulling together. And if Cross get through Ulster it's another year with a core group of players lost to the county effectively.

Its an ununfortunate reality that sometimes having a really strong club side doesn't help the county team at all. Worked better for Joe because he was from Cross.

[Armamike]

Indiana - in Joe's time Cross weren't getting to March 17th. He had a bit more time to work with them before the summer.

[Captain Obvious]

I don't think some realise how professionally run Crossmaglen have become. If Jamie keeps going he will be burnt out before 30, he deserves the break and should come back fully refreshed good luck to him.

[INDIANA]

I don't think some realise how professionally run Crossmaglen have become. If Jamie keeps going he will be burnt out before 30, he deserves the break and should come back fully refreshed good luck to him.

They aren't any more professional then a lot of club teams out there. They just happen to be better then most  of them.

[armaghniac]

If Jamie keeps going he will be burnt out before 30,

like Oisin?

[Armamike]

I don't think some realise how professionally run Crossmaglen have become. If Jamie keeps going he will be burnt out before 30, he deserves the break and should come back fully refreshed good luck to him.

Aye right.

[Lar Naparka]

Ah Jesus. Who's going to go watch Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band when Bruce decides to feck off?

At least Armagh won't be able to rely on Clarke and that may force other players to take some responsibility but it says some very bad things about Grimley's prospects for improving the team's fortunes if he can't even convince his star player to stick around for the first year of his reign.

And how should he convince him?? put urself in his shoes. Has already played 3 seasons of county championship, would like a year out knowing he can come back and play another decade of football. He has just finished college this year and from what i know he doesnt have a big fancy job yet. Armagh will hardly even reach the semi finals, and before that there is no real glory or big days in county football worth giving up a year in oz or wherever for a once in a lfetime time chance

Plus he has had non stop club football and will prob win his 3rd all ireland before he goes

+1.
  I don't think any genuine Gaelic fan would begrudge him the right to go off and see the world while he is still young enough to do so. With luck, he'll be raring to go when he gets back and will be all the better for it as we'd say in Mayo.

[yellowcard]

I don't think some realise how professionally run Crossmaglen have become. If Jamie keeps going he will be burnt out before 30, he deserves the break and should come back fully refreshed good luck to him.

They aren't any more professional then a lot of club teams out there. They just happen to be better then most  of them.

Not true, they take professionalism to new levels as regards club sides. They would be more professional than a lot of county sides as well. It is their preparation and discipline even more than their ability that has won them all those titles, and it is now ingrained in the culture of the senior team.

[Armamike]

A lot.

[mackers]

I see Jamie does care after all.  In the IN today that while he does intend to travel he will be back for the Ulster championship campaign.  Good news for Armagh supporters.

[blanketattack]

I don't think some realise how professionally run Crossmaglen have become. If Jamie keeps going he will be burnt out before 30, he deserves the break and should come back fully refreshed good luck to him.

They aren't any more professional then a lot of club teams out there. They just happen to be better then most  of them.

Not true, they take professionalism to new levels as regards club sides. They would be more professional than a lot of county sides as well. It is their preparation and discipline even more than their ability that has won them all those titles, and it is now ingrained in the culture of the senior team.