1. The square-ball rule has changed you know
Granted, we thought everyone already knew but judging by the look firstly on Pádraic Clancy’s face as his goal celebration was abruptly stopped during the latter stages of the Longford game, and secondly by Billy Sheehan’s bewildered protests when a free out was correctly awarded, not everyone did know.
So let’s clear this up for once and for all so we can get on with the championship.
From a dead ball, be it free or sideline, the old square-ball rule applies whereby a player may not enter the small rectangle before the ball. But from open play, a player is allowed enter the small rectangle before the ball, as long as he’s outside it when the ball is kicked.
That second part is effectively like the offside rule in soccer, except the line of the small rectangle replaces the last line of defence. Also, that last rule doesn’t mean, as some commentators have suggested, a player can float on the goalline and bully the goalkeeper for the entire game.
All clear? Good.
2. Donegal are evolving
Okay, so it’s a little bit like that image where we see the stages of man evolving as he slowly straightens up, and we are still only at a stage two or three here. But one small step for mankind is one giant step for Donegal football. What we saw against Cavan was a style still based on huge numbers working tirelessly and pressuring endlessly behind the ball, but this year we have the quick break added in which makes us consider just how fit this Donegal team must be. Frank McGlynn from corner-back and Leo McLoone from wing-back in particular were continuously hassling defenders one moment and breaking into the opposition 21 the next.
It was phenomenal.
Of course it helped that Cavan didn’t have the physical prowess to stand in their way and force them into the sort of lateral passing that not only frustrated people last year but negated the space and time their forwards had. And we wonder, if against bigger and better teams, and in closer and harder-fought games, if they’ll be forced to devolve or if under pressure they’ll choose to revert to what they know. But we can only judge on what we’ve seen and it’s a style that could be every bit as effective as it is energy sapping.
3. RTÉ are evolving too
Okay, so Dan Shanahan won’t be at the sports journalist of the year bash and asking a player his hero was nowhere near as original as Donie Shine picking Frankie Dolan as his. But it’s too easy at times to take a swipe at the national broadcaster. So, in a summer when their budget has been cut and their sports staff have been spread thinner than ever before, we can only credit the night edition of The Sunday Game for offering decent analysis, new features and getting around the tedium of the weak side of the Munster football draw by getting a Waterford hurler to cover it.
On top of that, they are only minor tweaks, but graphically and musically, at least they are trying to modernise the show.
Then again, as much as some things change, others forever remain the same. Pat Spillane did spend the first part of the day harping on about Galway proving his centuries-old campaign about putting the foot back into football was entirely justified. We wait to see his thoughts when Galway aren’t given the time or space to do that, but we await even more next weekend’s nighttime show and down the line, who they’ll send to cover Limerick and Clare in the Munster football semi-final. Davy Fitz anyone?
Cavan’s Eugene Keating with Paddy McGrath of Donegal. Pic: INPHO/Morgan Treacy
4. These are Longford’s glory days
Earlier in the week Michael Quinn told me that in a county of their population, golden eras are rare and there’s a pressure to make the most of a good group of players coming along together. Well he, David Barden, Paul Barden, Damien Sheridan, Brian Kavanagh, Seán McCormack and the rest of them are doing just that. That’s back-to-back promotions, back-to-back trophy-winning seasons, the only unbeaten team left in the country, Division Two football to look forward to as well as a winnable Leinster quarter-final. It’s all remarkable.
What Glenn Ryan has achieved with this group is astounding and, if honest, we are glad they got over Laois because the bubble was big, yet still needed just one prick to pop it. We wonder does Ryan’s son at all these post-match interviews realise he is witnessing history as not since 1968 have the county had such reason to be this excited.
5. Galway – you can kind of believe the hype
Confused? Don’t be. What Alan Mulholland and his side showed us is they are comprehensively the second best team in Connacht, they have now reached a stage where they can swat away lesser teams and they have a gameplan that those outside the elite won’t be able to handle. But that’s all they’ve done so far and what will be a harder task than winning yesterday will be actually keeping the hype at bay.
But here’s the thing, as good as Paul Conroy, Joe Bergin, Gareth Bradshaw and Finian Hanley were, and as exciting it is to see Pádraic Joyce and Michael Meehan link up like yesteryear, this only proves so much.
A good full-back, a sweeper system, physicality around the middle and a half-forward line that gets on the forward foot will mean Galway need a Plan B.
They are on a journey for sure, but they are nowhere near the destination yet.
