Antrim Football Thread

[bannside]

Hi Nil, what odds Casements win at least two championships in next ten years? Serious question.

[imtommygunn]

Could you not start with one...

[paddyjohn]

Well Boys any word on where the Antrim Tipp game is on ?

Ballycastle.

Make them travel, to Rathlin Island.

I agree. Glamp the night before.

Are you trying to hand them the game?

Needs to make the visitors feel welcome.

[Níl a fhios agam]

Hi Nil, what odds Casements win at least two championships in next ten years? Serious question.

BS, I love your optimism. All jokes aside, i say things like that tongue in cheek.

However in reality, what im seeing in the next 5 years say is the following. Creggan will win one under Joe Cassidy either this year or the next. Then they will take a bit of a dip if Ricky, Marty, Oisin Kerr, Sam Maguire, Aiden Maguire in the coming years. But will be there, and there abouts for the next 10 years.

Cargin, that succesful team that followed the great St.Galls team for the last decade, has a dying kick in them. Similar to Creggan in age profile, i see a rebuild currently underway, hence the league form. They too will win a cship again in next couple of years, but may take another couple after that, once kobo, mick, tomas etc... decide to step away. However whatever it is about them, they have always contested for cships throughout the decades iv been alive, so think they will remain at the top.

Dunloy, current champions. See they capable of beating anyone on their day, and after a hugely succesful year under murtagh, they have foundations in place to kick on. Blessed with about 4 players who could walk on any team, and a manager who has really nailed down a perfect counter attacking game plan, combined with good game management, i see them giving it a huge rattle this year again. Only thing i feel that may go against them, will be if they inherit one or two injuries to key men, and whether or not, they drive towards winning the hurling again. Cannot see them doing both with the overlap in dual players.

Aghagallon for me are the dark horses. Seem to have really fucked about under mcgrath, and whatevers went on following that, they have regrouped. Look super organised, fit and ready for a championship challenge. Similar to Dunloy, if Ruairi, Adam or Eunan gets injured, i feel one of those being out totally unbalances their team come crunch. They will chin someone this year.

Galls. Young, super fit, very well coached. Can cause an upset, but feel they can be totally dominated with a team who can out muscle them physically and on KO's. Be a team for the future with their trajectory.

Brigids, losing the Henrys ones, i think theyve went from top 3 to perhaps 5th. GMCN has them super fit and moving well. But the BT9'rs mentality i see as their main problem. More entitlement than grit. When things are going well, they hammer teams. When teams put up a fight against them they seem shy of answers, and the smoke screen they put up seems to disapear. Will be there abouts for next 5 years and with a good transfer window, can come again.

Casemets, have a spine of men as good as anyone out there. Forwards wise, Lynn, Doherty, Hagan, Kellys should have enough to hurt any team. Just felt under JMCK, They were given the sun, moon and stars with their set up, and they hadnt the boys between the legs to beat a poor Cargin team two years ago. Im sure, John goes over that game in his mind, and the way the game panned out was a perfect storm for any team to take a scalp. It was dogged, the ref let alot go, Cargin werent at the races. But it was evident that the self belief to go and win it wasnt there. Similar to Cargin and Creggan, NMCK, Dermot, Paddy K, Lynn and Niall Delargy are at an age were next 3 years, you will be lucky if one of them is still palying. So in my opinion, i think if Casements dont give it a huge rattle this year, i think we see another decade of rebuilding.

The rest im not even wasting my time talking about. Them clubs need to get their act together, including my own for the betterment of Antrim football.

[bannside]

A lot of opinion in that, some I definitely cant fault.

But youre a mile off if you think Casements need to start a complete rebuild. That took place over a decade ago and the place is full of talent champing at the bit. The MacNamee will be here at some stage, you can take that from me to the bank.

Nothing will be won on gaaboard though and there will always be half a dozen teams in the mix. Much more interesting than the days when two clubs were a country mile above the rest.

St Galls right back in the mix, and tell you another thing, St Johns with a full panel (all hurlers available) would put it up to anyone too on their day.