National Football League 2013

Do the All Ireland champions get applauded in every league game then?! I always thought the first game of the season suffices for that, i.e. in Donegals case the pre season competition and then the league?

If this is the case then what is the big deal with Mayo not doing it last season?

Surely the bad men in Mayo got a fine for that? The bloody cheek.

And then they had the nerve to go on and hammer them by 12 points. Shocking!

Morrissey wrote:

Do the All Ireland champions get applauded in every league game then?! I always thought the first game of the season suffices for that, i.e. in Donegals case the pre season competition and then the league?

If this is the case then what is the big deal with Mayo not doing it last season?

No team has to applaud the AI winners onto the pitch, it's their choice whether they want to or not.

It's a stupid out dated tradition that should have been scrapped along with the local bishop throwing in the ball.

I don't really see the point in continuing it after the first game, I mean where does it end then?
First game is fair enough I think, after that it's pointless!

Anyway on the game Saturday evening, as has been said before I think the teams that have been played in the O' Byrne cup have been deemed 'strong' due to hitting the ground running in this division so that we have a right good chance of staying up. It will be the unknown as regards how Donegal are shaping up, hopefully the bookies are right and Kildare start off with 2 points on the board.

Morrissey wrote:

Do the All Ireland champions get applauded in every league game then?! I always thought the first game of the season suffices for that, i.e. in Donegals case the pre season competition and then the league?

If this is the case then what is the big deal with Mayo not doing it last season?

To be honest its a courtesy afforded to AL winners its not compulsory so its just respect

To be honest there was no deal. If that's the way they want to behave let them if they win it I am sure the respect will be returned in kind I don't think so its mayo making a statement in 2012

Taibi wrote:

Surely the bad men in Mayo got a fine for that? The bloody cheek.

And then they had the nerve to go on and hammer them by 12 points. Shocking!

Your something else. Chainsaw for taibi that's a mighty big chip you have

That is fair enough Sniper, I just wasn't aware that could/may continue throughout the league for all Donegals games.
Best of luck on Saturday night against the Rebels, it's definitely a game worth sticking around for.

Morrissey wrote:

That is fair enough Sniper, I just wasn't aware that could/may continue throughout the league for all Donegals games.
Best of luck on Saturday night against the Rebels, it's definitely a game worth sticking around for.

It won't be easy against the league champions and I think kildare will under estimate donegal but we both need a good start. I said it before. I hope we are both in the league final

sniper wrote:

and I think kildare will under estimate donegal

How in the name of god do you arrive at that conclusion?

They're the All Ireland champions ffs!

kickingking wrote:

sniper wrote:

and I think kildare will under estimate donegal

How in the name of god do you arrive at that conclusion?

They're the All Ireland champions ffs!

I'm guessing what is meant here is a lot is being mentioned of Donegal and perhaps starting the year off slowly after the year they had, but as you say All Ireland champions will never be underestimated no matter what.

Morrissey wrote:

kickingking wrote:

sniper wrote:

and I think kildare will under estimate donegal

How in the name of god do you arrive at that conclusion?

They're the All Ireland champions ffs!

I'm guessing what is meant here is a lot is being mentioned of Donegal and perhaps starting the year off slowly after the year they had, but as you say All Ireland champions will never be underestimated no matter what.

I still don't see how anyone can think Kildare will under estimate any team in this division, let alone Donegal! We're hardly in a position where we can take teams lightly. We're second favourites for the drop behind Down and most of these counties will be fancying their chances against us.

kickingking wrote:

Morrissey wrote:

kickingking wrote:

sniper wrote:

and I think kildare will under estimate donegal

How in the name of god do you arrive at that conclusion?

They're the All Ireland champions ffs!

I'm guessing what is meant here is a lot is being mentioned of Donegal and perhaps starting the year off slowly after the year they had, but as you say All Ireland champions will never be underestimated no matter what.

I still don't see how anyone can think Kildare will under estimate any team in this division, let alone Donegal! We're hardly in a position where we can take teams lightly. We're second favourites for the drop behind Down and most of these counties will be fancying their chances against us.

Precisely right , we are with the big boys now and have to act accordingly.

Don't think it's underestimation, but this isn't the Donegal that won the All Ireland. Last year they didn't take the league so seriously and in all years under McGuinness they've safeguarded summer tactics and style until championship. Also, there's basic physiology. The All Ireland champions haven't played a game since September, have been celebrating since then, and are only back in training. Indeed while Kildare were going hard in O'Byrne Cup, this is worth a look.

The Donegal team that lost 2-15 to 2-7 to Fermanagh: M Boyle; K McFadden, C Cannon, T McKinley; L Keaney, S McGowan 0-1, M Boyle; R Wherity, P Mailey; D McLaughlin, G McFadden 0-4, 1f, S Griffin 0-1, 1f; S McGarvey, A Hanlon 1-0, W Gillespie. Subs: C Ward for Mailey H/T, D Molloy 1-1, 1f for McGarvey H/T, P Carr for Kinley 58mins, L Kelly for Wherity 64.

The Donegal team that lost 3-16 to 1-5 to Monaghan: P Boyle; K McFadden, C Cannon, T McKinley; C Gallagher, S McGowan, D Walsh; C Ward, R Wherity; S Griffin, G McFadden, D McLaughlin; J Carroll, A Hanlon, W Gillespie. Subs: M Cannon for McLaughlin (5), P Carr for McKinley (53), L Kelly for Gillespie (53); C Gibbons for Carroll (69); A O'Gara for Gallagher (69).

The Donegal team that beat St Mary's 1-14 to 2-10: P Boyle; P Carr, C Ward, A O’Gara; E McHugh, K McFadden, C Cannon; L Keaney, C Cannon; P Mailey, J Carroll, M Cannon; O MacNiallais, R Wherity, J O’Malley. Subs: C Gibbons for M Cannon (29), S McGarvey for Carroll (half-time), W Gillespie for MacNiallais (50), J Campbell for P Carr (66)

I don't care if you are an All Star selection, you don't go into an intercounty game in Division One with guys who are just back, against a team that have been going very hard for this time of year, on a fast and big surface like Croke Park and survive. I'd be stunned if we lost, absolutely stunned.

sniper wrote:

TommyKeegan wrote:

For the record, Kerry did applaud Dublin onto the pitch in first league game.

Correct TC. And it was Mayo who didn't applaude the AI champions 2011 in castlebar on both occasions in 2012

The 2011 All Ireland champions opened their O'Byrne Cup campaign against Carlow and received a guard of honour and opened their league campaign against Kerry and again received a guard of honour (I'd imagine Kildare will do the same to Donegal on Saturday out of respect as Fermanagh did in their opening McKenna Cup game). So what exactly have Mayo to do with anything here?

sniper wrote:

Morrissey wrote:

Do the All Ireland champions get applauded in every league game then?! I always thought the first game of the season suffices for that, i.e. in Donegals case the pre season competition and then the league?

If this is the case then what is the big deal with Mayo not doing it last season?

To be honest its a courtesy afforded to AL winners its not compulsory so its just respect

To be honest there was no deal. If that's the way they want to behave let them if they win it I am sure the respect will be returned in kind I don't think so its mayo making a statement in 2012

TommyKeegan wrote:

sniper wrote:

TommyKeegan wrote:

For the record, Kerry did applaud Dublin onto the pitch in first league game.

Correct TC. And it was Mayo who didn't applaude the AI champions 2011 in castlebar on both occasions in 2012

In those years, the All Ireland champions opened their campaigns against Kerry and Kerry respectively, What have Mayo got to do with it?

Did Dublin applaud Cork onto the pitch in Croke Park in the league in 2011?

Or did they just leave it to Philly McMahon and Michael Shields to applaud each other off a bit over-vigorously at half time?

Surely the only time a team needs to be applauded (if it even needs to be done) is before the first competitive match they play the following year. They hardly expect it to happen before every feckin match right through the league do they?

I was in ballybofey for a kildare league game the last time donegal were all ireland champions , think it wasa round 1 game and not that it matters either way but kildare did applaud donegal onto the pitch

lollypop wrote:

I was in ballybofey for a kildare league game the last time donegal were all ireland champions , think it wasa round 1 game and not that it matters either way but kildare did applaud donegal onto the pitch

Correct and right lollypop.... Was a typically cold day and I think I was back in kildare before my feet thawed out...

I don't think it's so much that Donegal didn't take the league seriously - they did, in the sense that they were fine-tuning their system, or trying to develop it. They were scoring plenty but conceding more as they tried to marry greater ambition offensively with maintaining their tight defence.

Why does anyone have any objections to applauding them?

And who in their right mind would think that Kildare could understimate anyone? They will be working on their own things. If they can pick up a few wins along the way while doing so, that'll be great. I wonder which one of the youngster will start - one or two of them maybe?

TommyKeegan wrote:

I don't care if you are an All Star selection, you don't go into an intercounty game in Division One with guys who are just back, against a team that have been going very hard for this time of year, on a fast and big surface like Croke Park and survive. I'd be stunned if we lost, absolutely stunned.

Who knows what kind of training they have been doing? They could have been playing the McKenna Cup selection every night at training. It's nothing like a competitive match but I don't see a situation where anyone would be overly confident of a Kildare win on Saturday.

If my memory serves me correctly we're not overly good at opening round League games.

Jaysus, cant belive the muppets who have a problem with the AI Champs being applauded on to the field. The McKenna cup doesnt matter a wank, this game is live on TV, in Croke Park. Its just a bit of respect for their fellow players.

As for Donegals preparation you can be damn sure they have been absolutely flogged since coming back from Dubai. However, these lads have been flogged since JMcG took over, they are well used to it. That said, the lack of a few games will obviously have some effect on them and i do think its a great opportunity to bring in the likes of Kelly, McNally, Brophy etc late in the game to test out those tired legs. These nordies are definitely there for the taking.

Great to see the young Lads getting the chance to shine, and shine they have.. Great to have competition in the Forwards at last.
Didnt Donegal get turned over in their 1st League Match at home versus Laois last term?, I doubt if theyll be over exited about their opener here either.
As for them being applauded onto the pitch.. Of course they should be, its about respect surely, and I suppose tradition.

Loads of Pints wrote:

Jaysus, cant belive the muppets who have a problem with the AI Champs being applauded on to the field.

It's ridiculous. It's not as if it gives them a massive psychological advantage or anything. Just stand there for half a minute and give them their bualadh bos and then tear into them once the ball is thrown in.

This will be a great match,with whatever team Geezer puts out,we will be up for this one.

This is almost a no-win situation - if we win it's because Donegal played their u/21's or an unfit senior selection. If we lose you can imagine the carping on here (with yours truly joining in no doubt).
For me the one "win" out of this is the opportunity to get 2 points on the board. Others may struggle against Donegal after the first couple of games particularly as there's a three week break between rounds 2 and 3 I believe.

Contrary to what someone said earlier I wouldn't just let the youngsters on late in the game - I think McNally Flynn and Brophy have shown enough to get their start - give them some Croke Park experience. Kelly may be worth a start too but I'd be inclined to hold him back on the bench. I'd go with :

Connolly
Lyons
Foley
McGrillen
Bolton
Kelly
E Foyle
White
O'Neill
E Flats
McNally
Dan Flynn
Johnston
Brophy
Doyle

I'm assuming neither Morgan F or Alan Smith would be fit.

I don't think Conway's performances to date have been brilliant otherwise I'd have him wing back for Doyle. Flanno has been good but we need something different and I believe Kelly an play in the half back line successfully.

I suspect that we will line out more like :

Connolly
Lyons
Foley
McGrillen
Kelly
Conway
Bolton
White
O'Neill
Flanagan
McNally
E Flats
Johnston
O'Connor
Doyle

I would say Flanagan has been doing exactly what he's in the team to do, he is an absolutely certainty to start.