The weather might still feel more like Kamkatcha than Castlebar at the minute (certainly in these parts) but out of the frozen tundra (well, out of this morning’s Indo) comes the first hard information about the Mayo senior team for 2010. There’s a bit of an interview in that esteemed journal today with Johnno, where he gives his opinion on the new rules and also provides some information on who will and who won’t be around for the FBD campaign this month. The article concludes with full details of the 26-man panel that’s been announced for the FBD and here are these details:
Mayo 2010 FBD League Squad: David Clarke, Robert Hennelly, Liam O’Malley, Donal Vaughan, Keith Higgins, Peadar Gardiner, Trevor Howley, Chris Barrett, Andy Moran, Alan Feeney, Shane Nally, Lee Keegan, Kevin Keane, Ronan McGarrity, Tom Parsons, Barry Kelly, Pat Harte, Trevor Mortimer, Mark Ronaldson, Mikey Sweeney, Aidan O’Shea, Neil Douglas, Ger McDonagh, Barry Moran, Jimmy Killeen, Kevin Walsh.
It’s only the FBD so I guess there’s no point trying to read too much into the above list, not least because some of the lads who you’d expect to see included will instead be lining out for third level institutions and, as well as that, regulars such as Alan Dillon, Conor Mortimer, Aidan Kilcoyne, Ger Cafferkey and Tom Cunniffe are all ruled out. The first two are off swanning around the Antipodes until the middle of next month, while the latter trio are all injured. Killer has been crocked more or less since the Meath match back in August whereas Ger apparently came a cropper during the current icy spell, breaking a bone in his hand. Tom – who was out injured for most of last year – is reportedly “laid up”, which sounds like the best option for all of us in the current conditions.
What’s good to see from the squad is that a number of players who have shone at minor and U21 in recent years – such as Robert Hennelly, Shane Nally, Lee Keegan, Kevin Keane, Neil Douglas and Ger McDonagh – have been given the chance to step up to senior level, to join the likes of Donal Vaughan, Aidan O’Shea and the others who have already made the jump. It’s also good to see a few of those players who picked up club awards back in November – like Alan Feeney and Jimmy Killeen – being given a chance to shine at inter-county level.
When this will happen is open to question, I guess. The big freeze is set to continue for at least another week or ten days, which could knock on the head not just this Sunday’s opening tie against NUIG (which is a home fixture but I don’t know where this is being played) but also the following Sunday’s home clash with Sligo IT. All we can do, I suppose, is sit back and wait for the thaw but if I hear anything about whether or not this weekend’s match is going ahead, I’ll confirm it here.
(Photo of abandoned frozen ships at Kamkatcha from englishrussia.com)
Re FBD panel.
Unfortunately do not agree with you regarding the inclusion of young players at this stage. We have done this in the past examples Brian Maloney, James Gill, Aidan Campbell to mention just a few. Now we are putting young Nally on a a senior squad without having played under 21 yet. It would not happen in Kerry or Tyrone. These talented footballers would play up through the ranks and arrive at the senior squead when they are ready and ca cope ieth it mentally. Not saying that these players wont make it or are not good enough to make it. Players like this need time to develop at their own age levele and learn to deal with the psychological side of always being assessed in every club and county game they play. Where is young Curran from Kerry ( minor 2006) Coney from Tyrone ( minor 2008) where they should be learning their trade out of the senor spotlight. Ehen their time comes they will be unleashed . Sadly we in mayo are still making the sme mistakes as we did twenty years ago
The match is to be played in garrymore, but with the weather conditions here in mayo at the moment it will probebly be postponed, if i hear anything concrete will let ye know.
Thanks for that, Mick – if it were to be played up here it’d definitely be called off.
You have a point there, Dermot, but I don’t think the current regime could ever be accused of moving too quickly to bring in fresh blood. I’ve heard it said more than once in recent times that it’s more difficult to get off the Mayo panel than it is to get on it. Fresh faces are always good, in terms of increasing competition for places and all of the young lads coming in (and it’s only for the FBD – there’s no guarantee they’ll be there for the league, never mind the championship) deserve their chance to show what they can do.
Dermot has a point and so has Willie Joe, the arch conservative Johnno getting the critics of his back with a clutch of young names. I am more concerned to see certain players who have been given too long to stake a claim are back once more. Kerry and Tyrone can afford to hold back their young hopefuls because success comes regularily. Mayo we know inhabit that awful place between failure and success. Hence the pressure for the next “Willie Joe” or his ilk.
Micheal Conroy at 19 scored 1-01 in the 2004 All-Ireland final. He would be only 24/25 now. Apparently gone from the radar. Certainly our record of using young fellas is not good. Even the likes of James Horan and Ken Mortimor were gone long before their time.
Hi Dermot
I dont see any harm in Nally playing in the FBD. Playing senior did O’Shea no harm. Nally is a class act, and i feel he has the ability and attitude to be a top class intercounty player. I would say that he will concentrate in the U21 this year. It would be great to see at least one or two young players make the break through