Maurice Brosnan: Eight observations from the National Football League
EIGHT OBSERVATIONS: Kerry's Paul Geaney scores a goal for his side something which Kerry are focusing more on that the two pointers. Pic: Daire Brennan/Sportsfile
Two teams found themselves in the same situation last weekend. One final play and in need of a two-point score. Neither of them could manufacture it.
Wexford’s Niall Hughes connected well with his late two-point effort but it went wide. Kildare’s Alex Beirne was under more pressure, with a defender diving on his boot as he struck the ball. It is worth taking a moment to break down how they both worked that final opportunity because it is something that will decide games this summer.
Every team, at all grades, will plan for various game-based scenarios. For years, teams have had various plans in place for working one last score. Hand-signals are all the fashion now. Greats are often ahead of the trend.
Six years ago, the five-in-a-row chasing Dublin deployed one when Paddy Small stuck his hand in the air in the 2019 drawn final. The clock was deep in the red, Dublin and Kerry were level. A minute later, Small was fouled out wide and Dean Rock had an opportunity to clinch it. He missed, Dublin eventually made history in the replay. (That wide free was from two-point range, as it happens).
On Saturday, with the score 3-11 to 0-18, Wexford were clever. Hughes was actually fouled on the 45 as they worked that last attack. However, it was close to the sideline and the referee played advantage. They loaded four players inside the 21-metre line, maintaining a goal threat as they should.
John Hegarty’s outfit patiently crossed over and back across the arc, eventually creating a two vs one. Limerick’s Fiachra Cotter hesitated before deciding to press the ball, while Hughes had time to have a go.
Offaly and Kildare will both review their final play with frustration. Offaly were full value for their Division 3 title, though conceding 36 shots is a slight cause for concern. They elected to bring two extra defenders close to goal, marking nobody.
Meanwhile, Beirne swung under pressure despite having two free options on the other side of the arc. It is understandable that well-worked strategies may not have been developed yet. This is a new game. The ground keeps shifting beneath players and coaches feet. Everyone is trying to find their balance, one step at a time.
How many bodies are needed close to goal and how many do you want outside the arc? Does everyone now realise that play can continue after the hooter sounds? Who will be the first team to deliberately foul inside the arc while two points up and use the break to squeeze man-on-man all over the half?
Answers to Maurice.brosnan@examiner.ie.
Speaking of two-pointers, for the third match in a row, Kerry didn’t kick any. Jack O’Connor outlined his reasonable view that they are encouraged by their goal-scoring record more than worried by the lack of orange flags when we asked if it mattered post-match.
“I wouldn’t care if we never kicked a two-pointer for the rest of the year if we can keep winning matches,” he said.
“We kept up our record of getting goals, I think that is 17 goals in the league.
“So we if can get enough goals, hopefully it will compensate for not getting two-pointers. I don’t think we had many two-point shots. Of course, it is something you would love to do. Mayo got one after the goal there, it went from eight to three.
“They are valuable. It is just something we haven’t put a huge amount of attention on. Seanie would be one of our main two-point kickers. He kicked two against Dublin and we haven’t seen him since.”
Captain Gavin White made the point last week that Kerry tend to attack with speed, while two-pointers can often happen after a team patiently probes the arc. As it happens, across Division 1 and 2, Kerry are tied with Roscommon as the teams who have taken the least amount of shots from outside 30 metres.
At the Connacht championship launch last week, Mayo forward Darren McHale was asked about his time on the fringes of the setup. Did he ever worry about securing his place in the squad?
“You always have doubts. I was involved with Stephen (Rochford) in 2016 and then I had three years out when I wasn’t involved. Back in from 2020 onwards. Those few years, you just try get back in there. Try show you deserve another shot.”
McHale worked his way into the team. The Knockmore man played 120 minutes in the 2024 league. In 2025 he logged 336. Mayo will likely dig deep into their panel again over the course of championship. They need extended panel members to be ready. He was keen to stress their worth.
“It is a challenging place to be of course, because everyone puts in the same amount of work but it is not a cliché to say those lads are just as important as your top scorers or the player who plays every minute. Everyone is pushing hard. To be fair in our panel, the starting team and 26 have been changing so much. It is not a 15 man game.”
Forward Cian McHale came in after promising club form and featured in their first three games before suffering an injury. Fergal Boland was previously cut and then recalled to the panel. Fenton Kelly and Davitt Neary have looked great finds. All of them can contribute in championship. They must come together for the cause. For McHale, that is the main attraction of being an intercounty player.
“I think it is one of the things in life, it is such a positive environment to be in. The group is so aligned, there is not many things in life where you get that full alignment, everyone going to max out their potential. There is massive power to that.”
A couple of weeks ago, this column wondered if Con O’Callaghan could be a little more selfish in his play.
That prompted an engaging conversation on Off The Ball’s The Football Pod. “99 times out of 100, I back him to take the right option,” said Dublin’s Paddy Andrews. “He is an absolute team player and to be fair has been since a young guy coming into the squad. He will play for the team. That is one of his greatest strengths.” Kerry’s James O’Donoghue agreed.
“Maurice Fitzgerald said something to us in Kerry training one time. If you are an established player, like he was or Con is, you are better off turning down your own guaranteed score to give it off who might need that score because you still feel good, you are contributing, you gave an assist and did the right thing, but you know your team-mate has grown in the game especially if they are not sure of their situation or position.” Firstly, what a welcome development it is that analysts can finally discuss forward play. It should be an ever-evolving tactical element. Every team is trying to find harmony in their dish, while blending one key ingredient with others.
David Clifford’s final tally on Sunday was four points from play from ten shots. He was also fouled for three frees and had another assist. The two-time Footballer of the Year kicked four frees as well.
His impact on the opposition was best illustrated by his first wide. Clifford collected the ball in front of the Cusack Stand. Four Mayo defenders drifted towards him. The Fossa star snapped a shot under pressure and it drifted outside the post.
Shortly after, he collected the ball in a similar spot. This time he utilised his quick hands to lay off to Barry Dan O’Sullivan. The midfielder clipped his first ever point as a senior in Croke Park (he scored 0-2 against Donegal in the 2014 minor decider.) It should be said that Kerry’s wastefulness was spread across the team last week. According to Gaelic Statsman, they had 35 shots for 18 scores. This came a week after they kicked 3-24 against Galway. That day the All-Ireland favourites had 13 scorers and only two wides.
Interestingly, Clifford had only four shots in a terrific dual with Johnny McGrath. He finished with two from play. However, he assisted a remarkable seven points in the same game.
Mayo boss Kevin McStay was at pains to make his point in the most nuanced fashion possible. His side were poor. It was a disappointing performance. Make no mistake, despite the turnaround they came to win it. He then went on to take issue with some of the frees awarded to David Clifford.
“I have to say, I love him as a player and all that, but Donnacha’s (McHugh) jersey must be resistant to pulling all together, I don't know. That would be my one and I think David Coldrick is obviously a fabulous referee too, but the tackle count, I think it was 13-1 at one stage. I thought we could tackle, that was the last time I checked, we're a good tackling team.”
It is hard to gather what precisely McStay was referring to with the ‘tackle count.’ The remark had been interpreted as a free count, but at half-time the tally was five to four. This does not include the advantage after a tug on Brian Ó Beaglaoich or a late hit on Jack Carney, which Micheál Burns was booked for.
Nevertheless, what could Mayo do about it?
The new rules mean Stephen Coen had the option to clarify a decision made by the referee during a break in play. Managing this interaction in a skilled manner is already a major component of rugby.
Matchday broadcasters could hear David Coldrick’s communication throughout the game, including examples where he asked his crew to remind him of a player’s first name before speaking to them. This element of his officiating is routinely praised and is something he places huge value in, as he told the BBC Social recently.
Whatever about earning more frees, another area of improvement is converting them. Ryan O’Donoghue missed a two-point free just before half-time, though he did slot one in the second half. Aidan O’Shea was excellent from play, notching three points and creating another two, but he also missed a scoreable free.
There is no doubt that Martin Corey and Joe McMahon’s decision to step away from Meath is a blow, but Robbie Brennan’s recent suggestion that Jordan Morris is out for the year after a knee injury against Louth is far more devastating.
Shot involvements are one metric tracked by leading analysis provider GAA Insights. Morris was involved in 30% of Meath’s shots this year, the most of any player. Derry’s reliance on Shane McGuigan is emphasised by the fact he ranks second with 26.8%.
In 2023, Offaly were dealt a blow before the Tailteann Cup when three players pulled out of the panel. Rory Egan, Jack Byrant and Bill Carroll went to the United States for the summer.
Offaly won one game in the Tailteann that year before bowing out in the preliminary quarter-final. Keith O'Neill, Egan and Byrant were outstanding as Offaly won the U20 All-Ireland in 2021.
Offaly won one game in the Tailteann that year before bowing out in the preliminary quarter-final.
Those young prospects lit up Croke Park again last Sunday. O’Neill was Man of the Match after kicking four points and creating 2-2. Bryant blasted a sensational goal.
“No one really gave us a chance at the start of the league,” said O’Neill afterwards. “We were seeing it everywhere, ‘we’ll be lucky to stay up.’ Sure now we’re in Division 2 and Division 3 champions.”
It was a mixed debut campaign for Jimmy Lee in Limerick. They lost all seven games in the league, bowed out of the Munster championship after a Cork defeat before eventually making a Tailteann Cup quarter-final.
After some immense work by his brother Billy, Limerick started to slide. Ray Dempsey lasted just five competitive matches. Mark Fitzgerald helped steady the ship. There was enormous player turnover. They urgently needed a solid base.
Lee opted to construct a ticket that knew the local scene. Micheál Cahill, the Chief Operations Officer at Setanta College, joined as head coach. The Mungret St Paul’s clubman previously worked with Clare and has travelled the globe in his career, visiting professional clubs as well as working in the States for a spell.
Evan Talty, who runs coaching resource IGaelicCoach, came on board as a skill acquisition coach. He previously completed a Masters in Applied Sports Coaching from University of Limerick. Former player Pa Ranahan also did that course. A stalwart of the Munster final competing group that came so close in 2009 and 2010, Ranahan threw himself into developing football in the county post-retirement. He volunteered as a post-primary school Games Development Officer and was part of the U20 setup prior to this year.
With good people on board, Limerick have now started to build again.
The International Rules is moving closer to a return, with October now a live possibility. Apropos of nothing, here is a stab at a 23-man squad. Each player must have been available to play in 2024. The 2017 panel featured 14 different counties. This one has 18.
Club commitments will be the big impediment.
Aidan O’Shea, captain (Mayo), Niall Morgan (Tyrone), Brian Stack (Roscommon), Oisín Mullin (Mayo), Darragh Joyce (Kilkenny), Brian Howard (Dublin), Luke Towey (Sligo), Martin O’Connor (Wexford), Pierce Laverty (Down).
Conor Glass (Derry), Conor Nash (Meath), Mark O’Connor (Kerry), Ciaran Byrne (Louth), John Maher (Galway), Ross McQuillan (Armagh), Kevin Feely (Kildare).
Conor McKenna (Tyrone), Ciarán Kilkenny (Dublin), Ray Connellan (Westmeath), Mark Keane (Cork), Damien Comer (Galway), Enda Smith (Roscommon), Barry McNulty (Leitrim).
Kieran McGeeney, manager (Armagh), Colin O’Riordan, coach (Tipperary).
