Retirements

Started by Maroon Manc, July 09, 2018, 01:50:38 PM

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Duine Eile

Gary O'Donnell the latest Galway player to hang up his boots. Never the most spectacular player but was always a steady influence on the lads around him and good for a score or 2.

An Fhairche Abu

Very dedicated player for many years, a great servant to Galway football.
Will be interesting to see the make up of the panel for 2022.

seafoid

Quote from: Duine Eile on October 26, 2021, 12:26:37 PM
Gary O'Donnell the latest Galway player to hang up his boots. Never the most spectacular player but was always a steady influence on the lads around him and good for a score or 2.
A disappointing decade for Galway footballers. They never got the formula right. First decade since 1900 that they didn't get to a final.
Medals are often about timing.
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

Blowitupref

#513
Quote from: seafoid on October 26, 2021, 05:40:14 PM
Quote from: Duine Eile on October 26, 2021, 12:26:37 PM



Gary O’Donnell the latest Galway player to hang up his boots. Never the most spectacular player but was always a steady influence on the lads around him and good for a score or 2.
A disappointing decade for Galway footballers. They never got the formula right. First decade since 1900 that they didn't get to a final.
Medals are often about timing.
The start of decade Galway was relegated to Div 2 and would stay there for 6 years.  2009 to 2015 no Connacht title won and shipped some embarrassing defeats in those years.

Under Kevin Walsh some decent progress was made, promoted back to Div 1 and league final appearance in the first year back, led Galway to a couple of Connacht titles and a first All-Ireland semi final for 17 years.

That progress hasn't been built on and have gone backwards now, 3 Connacht finals lost and two of them was became of 2nd half collapses and have fallen back to Division 2. The main question is Padraic Joyce the right manager to bring Galway forward?  Loads of underage talent to work from the U17s reached back to back All-Ireland finals in 2018/19 and the U20s won the All Ireland in 2020 though they'll need top of the range strength and conditioning to get the best of of them at senior level.
Is the ref going to finally blow his whistle?... No, he's going to blow his nose

An Fhairche Abu

Hopefully I'm wrong but have never been as pessimistic about Galway football at Senior IC level, we're going nowhere.

joemamas

Quote from: An Fhairche Abu on October 26, 2021, 06:14:14 PM
Hopefully I'm wrong but have never been as pessimistic about Galway football at Senior IC level, we're going nowhere.

Interesting comment, as you have always been very honest in your comments.
Not sure I would be that pessimistic.
Galway were 5pts up at half-time in connaught final, If Galway had gotten one or two points at beginning of second half it could have been a different story.
Not saying they would have gone much farther, but made Mayo look very uncomfortable in first half.

An Fhairche Abu

It's not this year in isolation, you look at counties that are having success, there are competent county boards in place who put the structures in place for that success. Sure money helps but would a multimillionaire with money to pump into Galway GAA be confident where that money was going to end up or what it would be used for? Not too long since Pat McDonagh was looking for the receipts.
The massive increase in club match revenue across the board once they had to go all ticket after the audit was incredible it was such a leap, a total scandal really and not much made of it.

I'm sure hurling folk will say otherwise and I appreciate that it's probably the bigger game in the county but, when you look at the Loughgeorge situation what was a football only facility and is now shared, where the source of all the debt that Galway have right now came from in the first place, football in the county has been rode sideways by hurling side. That's not to excuse the football board at all because there is loads that could be done at that end. The current football panel and management, are they as top level as they should be? I look at the Mayo and Kerry games after the lockdowns, these are laughing stock performances. The early form of league 2020 was a mirage, everything since has been awful, Mayo weren't even that really good in the CF and still absolutely coasted home, at one stage near the end a Mayo player tapped over a point rather than bothering to stick the goal it was so well in hand. Once Shane Walsh was no longer a factor to cause a bit of chaos with individual brilliance as in the first half, Galway had nothing, fitness looked suspect, how is that even possible these days given the levels the competition are at?

Others are way better informed than me, maybe I'm talking shite but to an average punter the whole thing looks brutal bad, cannot afford to be a two bob operation at any level to have success these days, Galway are as two bob as it gets at the minute.

Duine Eile

Quote from: An Fhairche Abu on October 28, 2021, 01:15:49 PM
It's not this year in isolation, you look at counties that are having success, there are competent county boards in place who put the structures in place for that success. Sure money helps but would a multimillionaire with money to pump into Galway GAA be confident where that money was going to end up or what it would be used for? Not too long since Pat McDonagh was looking for the receipts.
The massive increase in club match revenue across the board once they had to go all ticket after the audit was incredible it was such a leap, a total scandal really and not much made of it.

I'm sure hurling folk will say otherwise and I appreciate that it's probably the bigger game in the county but, when you look at the Loughgeorge situation what was a football only facility and is now shared, where the source of all the debt that Galway have right now came from in the first place, football in the county has been rode sideways by hurling side. That's not to excuse the football board at all because there is loads that could be done at that end. The current football panel and management, are they as top level as they should be? I look at the Mayo and Kerry games after the lockdowns, these are laughing stock performances. The early form of league 2020 was a mirage, everything since has been awful, Mayo weren't even that really good in the CF and still absolutely coasted home, at one stage near the end a Mayo player tapped over a point rather than bothering to stick the goal it was so well in hand. Once Shane Walsh was no longer a factor to cause a bit of chaos with individual brilliance as in the first half, Galway had nothing, fitness looked suspect, how is that even possible these days given the levels the competition are at?

Others are way better informed than me, maybe I'm talking shite but to an average punter the whole thing looks brutal bad, cannot afford to be a two bob operation at any level to have success these days, Galway are as two bob as it gets at the minute.

I used to think we were a bit paranoid in the football part of the county regarding the hurlers getting preferential treatment/funding/resources lately but having heard Paul Bellew, the hurling board chairman doing the rounds on the airwaves the last couple of days I think it's fair to say football is a poor relation in Galway now. He couldn't say enough about all the funding and resources going into the hurlers along with at least 9 people involved in the S and C of all the teams coming up through the ranks, I think that's in addition to Lucas K who has a paid S and C role. As usual, the football board is mute when it comes to these things.

galwayman

Quote from: An Fhairche Abu on October 26, 2021, 06:14:14 PM
Hopefully I'm wrong but have never been as pessimistic about Galway football at Senior IC level, we're going nowhere.
I would have to say I agree with that unfortunately.
All the abuse Kevin Walsh got and look at us now two years on.

mouview

Quote from: galwayman on October 29, 2021, 08:52:46 AM
Quote from: An Fhairche Abu on October 26, 2021, 06:14:14 PM
Hopefully I'm wrong but have never been as pessimistic about Galway football at Senior IC level, we're going nowhere.
I would have to say I agree with that unfortunately.
All the abuse Kevin Walsh got and look at us now two years on.

Time to move on from Walsh nostalgia, his reign was no success by any metric. As poor as PJ may be, I'd like to see him dealing with a full deck as in a completely fit squad, (this basically means John Daly). We badly need a proper CHB and HB line, Dylan Wall/McHugh/ANOther isn't good enough. Build from there.

As pessimistic as you may be, if it's any consolation, I don't think we're going to get any worse. There should now within a season or two be a better cohort coming through when the successful U-20 team is raided. McLoughlin from Moycullen is a good prospect, while Dessie Conneely should get another look in. Salthill's Evan Murphy can be 'languid' they say but is worth a chance, he has good ability. Can never understand why Eoin Finnerty doesn't get a sustained run; not the quickest but always a handful for a FB, and is miles ahead of the likes of Brannigan. Caherlistrane's Jonathan McGrath never fails to impress when I see him play and should be a real good 'un when he fills out fully. The green shoots are starting to appear, just a bit more patience required.

seafoid

Quote from: mouview on October 29, 2021, 08:08:27 PM
Quote from: galwayman on October 29, 2021, 08:52:46 AM
Quote from: An Fhairche Abu on October 26, 2021, 06:14:14 PM
Hopefully I'm wrong but have never been as pessimistic about Galway football at Senior IC level, we're going nowhere.
I would have to say I agree with that unfortunately.
All the abuse Kevin Walsh got and look at us now two years on.

Time to move on from Walsh nostalgia, his reign was no success by any metric. As poor as PJ may be, I'd like to see him dealing with a full deck as in a completely fit squad, (this basically means John Daly). We badly need a proper CHB and HB line, Dylan Wall/McHugh/ANOther isn't good enough. Build from there.

As pessimistic as you may be, if it's any consolation, I don't think we're going to get any worse. There should now within a season or two be a better cohort coming through when the successful U-20 team is raided. McLoughlin from Moycullen is a good prospect, while Dessie Conneely should get another look in. Salthill's Evan Murphy can be 'languid' they say but is worth a chance, he has good ability. Can never understand why Eoin Finnerty doesn't get a sustained run; not the quickest but always a handful for a FB, and is miles ahead of the likes of Brannigan. Caherlistrane's Jonathan McGrath never fails to impress when I see him play and should be a real good 'un when he fills out fully. The green shoots are starting to appear, just a bit more patience required.
That sounds similar to 2011 for the hurlers.
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

Cunny Funt

What a warrior Colm Boyle was.

whitey

Quote from: Cunny Funt on November 23, 2021, 12:47:33 PM
What a warrior Colm Boyle was.

That rattle he hit Comer will live long in my memory

Gael85

Brian Fox Tipperary retired. Played football with Tipp since 08.

imtommygunn

Boyle was one tough boy.

Brian fox was a good footballer too and not a bit soft either.