High profile county seniors who never played minor

[Schkite]

Was McManus on the minor panel as a keeper did i hear somewhere?

That was Darren Hughes. Him and Conor were the same year at minor and Darren ended up playing in goals, only because the no. 1 got injured and Darren had a good kick out.

I think Conor had been on the training panel but he definitely didn't make the match squad for the championship. That was very strange as he was the joint captain and one of the best players of the county minor championship winning team, and had already begun to make the breakthrough for Clontibret seniors. Within a year Darren was already becoming one of the most important players for Scotstown seniors and doing well for UUJ, and Conor was the match winner for Clontibret in the county final.

[ck]

Bernard Brogan,Kevin McManamon,Denis Bastic,Michael Fitzsimons and Eoghan O'Gara never played minor for Dublin

Really??! This is incredible. Just shows you that talent can slip through the net

[Gael85]

Bernard Brogan,Kevin McManamon,Denis Bastic,Michael Fitzsimons and Eoghan O'Gara never played minor for Dublin

Really??! This is incredible. Just shows you that talent can slip through the net

Brogan done his cruciate when 18.The rest were late developers. Bastic, O'Gara and Fitzsimons didn't even play u21. They got their chance when Dublin won Junior Championship in 08. Brian Fenton Dublin new midfielder also didn't play minor due to injury

[deiseach]

Legend has it that Paul McGinley played Minor for Dublin before knee knack ended his career. The truth is far more interesting:

I loved Gaelic football. I had more of a talent for football than I had for golf. It came easier to me, I could see it. I was playing left half forward. Jim Stynes was our midfielder at Ballyboden and we had an understanding. I wasn't the biggest guy, but I was very accurate, good at passing and great at taking points from distance. But the one thing that was against me was my birth date - I was born on the 16th of December and with the GAA rules, I was underage to play club level but two weeks overage to play for Dublin and I could never get past the trials. I wasn't big enough.
...
I'd like to think I'd have played for Dublin. I'd like to think I would have been noticed at senior level and got a trial.

In short (pun unintended), it's not that surprising that many players slip through the net. Hundreds of young fellas to choose from and no objective way of sorting the wheat from the chaff - it must be so easy to pick the big uns. Then again, if you need evidence of the malaise in Cork hurling, look no further than how they overlooked Séamus Harnedy at both Minor and Under-21. The only way they could have missed him is that they were not looking.

[Sleater]

I don't think Karl O'Connell played minor for Monaghan. What about Ross Munnelly, he didn't play minor for Laois?

[deiseach]

Brogan done his cruciate when 18.

Interesting to know. It's impossible to believe that he wouldn't have been noticed, if only for the name.

[Seamus]

Bomber Liston, Tom Sullivan, Aidan Mahoney and Paul Murphy. The last three from the same club.

[shark]

I don't think Karl O'Connell played minor for Monaghan. What about Ross Munnelly, he didn't play minor for Laois?

Munnelly did. Remember him playing against Westmeath in 2000 and he was outstanding.

[Hound]

Bernard Brogan,Kevin McManamon,Denis Bastic,Michael Fitzsimons and Eoghan O'Gara never played minor for Dublin

Really??! This is incredible. Just shows you that talent can slip through the net

Brogan done his cruciate when 18.They rest were late developers. Bastic, O'Gara and Fitzsimons didn't even play u21. They got their chance when Dublin won Junior Championship in 08. Brian Fenton Dublin new midfielder also didn't play minor due to injury

Not quite impossible, but it's almost impossible to break into the Dublin team now if you haven't played with the U21s previously - I don't think we even enter the Junior championship any more, making it particularly difficult for a lower league player to make it if he hasn't been picked up by the 21s.

[From the Bunker]

Liam McHale, Ronan McGarrity, Patrick Harte, David Brady.

And they are just the midfielders from one club.

McHale was asked to play but turned it down later that year he played for the under 21's.

Pretty sure James Horan did not play minor or 21!

James Nallen Minor?

[Gael85]

Bernard Brogan,Kevin McManamon,Denis Bastic,Michael Fitzsimons and Eoghan O'Gara never played minor for Dublin

Really??! This is incredible. Just shows you that talent can slip through the net

Brogan done his cruciate when 18.They rest were late developers. Bastic, O'Gara and Fitzsimons didn't even play u21. They got their chance when Dublin won Junior Championship in 08. Brian Fenton Dublin new midfielder also didn't play minor due to injury

Not quite impossible, but it's almost impossible to break into the Dublin team now if you haven't played with the U21s previously - I don't think we even enter the Junior championship any more, making it particularly difficult for a lower league player to make it if he hasn't been picked up by the 21s.

It pity we don't enter junior team any more. 08 seemed to be only year took it serious as other years lads were just parachuted into team with little or no training.

[Gael85]

Gormley played under 21s but not minors.

Did Philip Jordan play minor for Tyrone?

[The Bearded One]

I believe he was on the 1997 team that lost to Laois in the All Ireland final.

[twohands!!!]

Bernard Brogan,Kevin McManamon,Denis Bastic,Michael Fitzsimons and Eoghan O'Gara never played minor for Dublin

Really??! This is incredible. Just shows you that talent can slip through the net

Brogan done his cruciate when 18.They rest were late developers. Bastic, O'Gara and Fitzsimons didn't even play u21. They got their chance when Dublin won Junior Championship in 08. Brian Fenton Dublin new midfielder also didn't play minor due to injury

Not quite impossible, but it's almost impossible to break into the Dublin team now if you haven't played with the U21s previously - I don't think we even enter the Junior championship any more, making it particularly difficult for a lower league player to make it if he hasn't been picked up by the 21s.

It pity we don't enter junior team any more. 08 seemed to be only year took it serious as other years lads were just parachuted into team with little or no training.

Seeing that it seems a very strange decision by Dublin GAA not to enter the junior any more. Anyone know the reason?

[charlie linkbox]

I don't think Karl O'Connell played minor for Monaghan. What about Ross Munnelly, he didn't play minor for Laois?

The thing about Karl O'Connell is that he never played football at all until he was about 18. He was involved in athletics in his youth. Then at about 18, he was persuaded to tog out for Tyholland, a small club – they'd struggle for numbers. And here he is now scoring a point and getting nominated for man of the match in an Ulster Final.