Mayo GAA Discussion

blowitupref · 09-01-2023 11:23PM

Lee Keegan regularly marked the opposition best forwards and would outscore them while doing so.

Scored 2-4 from play in All-Ireland finals to put that into perspective Cillian O'Connor scored 0-7 from play in AI finals.

RedDevil55 · 09-01-2023 11:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120087426#Comment_120087426

Massive shame to see Lee retire. He's going out at the top of his game pretty much, which is unusual. Definitely had another 2 seasons minimum if he wanted to continue.

Sidenote, but I've seen a few people say that it's a rebuilding job now and McStay needs 2, 3, 4 years to challenge for Sam. What will change in that time? We're going to have more retirements in the coming years and the likes of Diarmuid O'Connor and others will be past his best then. Mayo had a much greater turnover of players during 2020 and 21 (between injuries and retirements), yet made an All Ireland final both years. Winning Sam still has to be the aim this year.

Audioslaven · 10-01-2023 12:17AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120087604#Comment_120087604

I think he must have judged the talent that is there and decided it wasn't at the required level to win the main prize. He is leaving on a high. McStay put a positive spin on him coming back, which looks a bit odd in hindsight.

We are gradually declining on the quality of players we have at our disposal unless McStay pulls some serious players over the league. I think a few more should depart as well and we start fresh and see where the cards fall as I don't see what AOS, McLoughlin and Doherty offer anymore. They just have too much mileage on the clock and don't have the legs for CP.

PressRun · 10-01-2023 12:37AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088159#Comment_120088159

Going by his own comments, it's about family. I get the sense he would have liked to continue but can no longer justify it with young kids to look after now.

Bass Reeves · 10-01-2023 01:46AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088104#Comment_120088104

He is 33 years old which is on the older side for GAA players. The level he played at is a factor as well. Watched him last year in the league in Killarney and his pace was gone.

Great footballer in his day but his best days were behind him. Probably considers it will take 3+ years to overtake Galway again and for Mayo to become an effective force.

RedDevil55 · 10-01-2023 02:16AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088325#Comment_120088325

Funny how Paudi Clifford couldn't get away from him last summer despite his pace being gone?! His best days were probably behind him, yet he was still one of the top defenders in the country last year.

Why would it take 3+ years to overtake Galway when we only lost to them by a point last year?

HBC08 · 10-01-2023 07:24AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088325#Comment_120088325

You don't rate leeroy off league games.

Plenty of years I thought he was past his best watching him in feb/mar only for him to come back and be Mayos best player that summer.That includes this year where Mayo were nowhere in the championship and only got one all-star nomination, guess who that was?

He's a very fit 33 and as others have said he had at least 2 season left at elite level,he retired for other reasons.

10-01-2023 09:13AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088357#Comment_120088357

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088459#Comment_120088459

I'd ignore him.

He's from Kerry but doesn't even remember that the league game was in Tralee, I don't even recall Mayo ever playing a league game in Killarney in the last 20 years at least, could be much longer.

Plus Keegan had a great run up the wing and a shot that just drifted wide to draw that league game in Tralee in 2022.

10-01-2023 10:39AM

The last time I saw Keegan he was pushing a buggy up the street in Westport.

So fair play to him I say, get out at a time that suits you and those closest to you.

It has been a pleasure to see him play for so long and he owes us mere mortals nothing.

As for Mayo in the shorter term they have a lot of fixing to do at the back.

If, and it a big if, they can get the fully forward line back in decent shape it takes some of the pressure off the backs, in that the backs can concentrate on defending and not be relied on as much to do the scoring, but the full back line needs work.

I don't think there is any great gulf in class between Kerry and the rest.

Galway had Kerry on the rack, Dublin had Kerry on the rack, Galway scraped passed Armagh and Mayo, Dublin are coming from Div 2, plus the new system gives plenty of scope for making mistakes and fixing them.

An All Ireland must certainly be the goal for Mayo in 2023, no reason why it should not be.

TagoMago · 10-01-2023 12:41PM

Really disappointing to see him retire, the best Mayo player I've had the pleasure of seeing play, his goals in the '16 and '17 finals were the most exhilarating scores I've experienced as a Mayo fan. That '17 final performance was incredible.

TBH I had thought he was past his peak after the 2019 semi but the way he performed in 2021 showed what an irrepressible force he was. Hoped he would have given it one more go after a disappointing year last year but don't thin anyone can begrudge him a happy retirement after everything he has given.

muddle84 · 10-01-2023 01:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120089317#Comment_120089317

I think the last two years he was absolutely wasted being played in the back line, as was Oisín!

In McStays time as a pundit, he often said Connacht is not the goal for this Mayo team and it hasn't been for years. So I don't see why that would change with his Mayo team. The goal has to be an All Ireland, McStay isn't giving it a go to try and win Connacht championships, nor is his wider team. Although i'm sure Rochford would like to bury that hatchet!

FullBack Jam · 10-01-2023 03:11PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088459#Comment_120088459

Ya, that happended over and over again. It was like he was just pacing himself, never getting excited, and then bang - he would perform in the big Championship games when many of the other Mayo players would go into their shells. He seemed to thrive on the big day pressure and the responsibility.

Maybe time has blurred my memory bank, but I think Higgins was the same towards the end of his career. He wouldn't be up to too much until the stakes got big. But then he would shine and become a leader.

2018na · 10-01-2023 03:21PM

seri Respect for lee keegan. With a goalie like David Clarke behind you. It’s a waste of a trip to Croker 😁😁😁

Coillte_Bhoy · 10-01-2023 06:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120088325#Comment_120088325

Considering the new chsip format, we really need to get over this mindset of measuring ourselves against Galway Winning a Connacht would be nice and would see us seeded but tbh, im more concerned how we measure up to other rivals, Kerry, Dublin, Tyrone, Armagh etc becuse it will be games against these teams that will make or break us later in the summer, regardless of what happens in Connacht

MacDanger · 10-01-2023 06:23PM

I think we need at least 3-4 lads who have "potential" to really make progress this year towards being consistently good / very good. If you think back to Horan's first year or so in charge, the likes of Boyle, Keegan, McLoughlin, Cillian, AOS all nailed down starting positions.

In the last 2 seasons, it's only really Jordan Flynn who has made progress in terms of being a definite starter, maybe McLaughlin also? Even at that, McLaughlin needs to add a few scores to his game. I think the likes of Plunkett, Brickendon, Walsh, Orme, McHale, McDonagh, Carr, Hession, Carney and others have a massive opportunity now to grab one of several starting places that are available

PressRun · 10-01-2023 07:00PM

Tbh, I think the jury is still out on Tommy Conroy. He was only starting to show a bit when he got the injury. Maybe he would have kicked on last year and really came into his own if not for the injury, but it was by no means a guarantee and who knows if he'll be able to recapture the spark that was beginning to show before. There is a lot of expectation around him but I think people need to rein that in a bit.

McLaughlin has great pace but as an actual footballer, he needs to improve his skillset imo.

Carney has potential, but again, who knows.

Strumms · 10-01-2023 11:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120086072#Comment_120086072

Throwing a GPS at an opposition player who was attempting to take a free at a crucial stage of an All Ireland final is about as far from class as you can get. His pathetic excuses to explain it away, to justify it to the media and the public in the aftermath of his and Mayo’s defeat were suitably embarrassing…both for him and his county..a talented footballer certainly… but his conduct on and off the pitch…neutrals would have more respect if he just came out, apologised, “heat of the moment, lost the head” type of stuff. He admitted he was in the wrong but only when pressed much later.

that said, I think he’s the only player in the history of Gaelic Football to win 5 All Stars without winning an All Ireland, so let him look back fondly in his retirement (at the All Stars), and that GPS ( if he kept it )….

PressRun · 11-01-2023 01:12AM

Still whinging about a GPS.

Audioslaven · 11-01-2023 01:43AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120092316#Comment_120092316

Me and you bucko have different views on this. We as in mayo have been far too soft for many a year and when I see a guy doing all he can to succeed and I also remember him on his knees with the jersey over his head in tears, I see a complete mayo man who gave it all he had, showed his passion and drive. He is the perfect mayo player... Truly brilliant on the pitch and very modest off it. No flaws in him in my eyes ...best mayo player in my 40 odd years watching mayo. Every mayo kid should look to him as the perfect Mayo Gaa role model as nobody is perfect but he is the closest Mayo player I have witnessed

Green Peter · 11-01-2023 04:10AM

Mayo have paid a huge price for not having a regular decent fullback during Keegan's period. He was wasted trying to fill that roll and especially in the latter years, also mullen and O Hora the same, not fullbacks. All being played out of position. The GPS was not his finest moment but you couldnt really blame him with what was facing him again if the kick went over as it did. I think maybe midfield may have been his position given all the halfbacks mayo produce.and his ability to get scores. Instead he was back trying to cover a gap that was never really addressed by mayo managers during that period.

Bass Reeves · 11-01-2023 10:35AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120092682#Comment_120092682

The tracker was not his finest moment but there was no point blaming Rock for a position Mayo got themselves into.

Did he give out to Vaughan for his actions that were more the actual cause of them losing that final.

I remember a club match in hurling 10 years ago. A young lad got send off for reacting to a belt he got. He was a HF. The CB over seventy yards away could be heard shout 'stupid Mike stupid stupid stupid''.

A couple of parents were giving out but another parent said the CB was dead right. His point was the same young lad had being doing the same thing since U10. Gifted player but hard to keep on the field.

That team went on to win a minor football title that year. The HF never again got send off in a match for a long time.

Mayo people and players need to look into there own actions if they want to win

MacDanger · 11-01-2023 10:50AM

Jesus, inspirational stuff Bass, thanks for sharing

Blackjack · 11-01-2023 11:35AM

No shortage of trolls coming out from their sewers I see.

HBC08 · 11-01-2023 11:54AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120092316#Comment_120092316

6 all irelands won and still whinging.

Everybody in GAA knows there's an asterisk besides those wins but still.

Sometimes I think boards is full of eejits and cranks and I consider leaving here for good. However once in a while there will be some comedy gold that makes me glad I stayed on.

Your meltdown and subsequent month long sulk after the 2021 semi final was one such classic boards episode.

FullBack Jam · 11-01-2023 03:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120092682#Comment_120092682

Kieran Donaghy reckoned it was genius my Lee Keegan to pull out the GPS and fling it towards the ball, as an attempt at distraction.

Johnny Doyle from Kildare said fair play to him, that it was great thinking.

Dean Rock said he couldn't care less.

Yet poor Strumms is still having sleepless nights over it. 😱

It was great thinking in fairness. If GPS trackers were around when I was playing, and if I were the one who had thought to use it to gain a small advantage, I'd be fierce proud of myself. Still playing a bit of junior. I am going to keep the idea in mind should a last minute free scenario arise. Won't have a tracker, so will have to be a glove. Fill it with a bit of muck and fling it.

Sebastian Dangerfield · 11-01-2023 03:36PM

The same lads who are eternally upset by the GPS throwing have no issue with Comerfords post shaking and falling to the ground for 5 mins untouched and uninjured, Costelloe's tee throwing, Phillys eye gouging, the many acts of Small, Cooper and co, and various other things. I always laugh when I hear fellas refer to acts of violence on the field as part of a mans game, but the throwing of a little piece of plastic as a mortal sin.

At elite level sports players do everything to get over the line. More simply, some just lose the heads and do stupid things in the heat of the moment. Either be outraged by them all, or none at all.

Like it or not, there will be a shadow over some of these players like o'Shea, o'Connor, Hennelly if they retire without an AI. Keegan need have no such concerns, he physically couldn't have done any more to get Mayo over the line.

blowitupref · 11-01-2023 04:33PM

Tickets went on sale for Mayo v Galway Saturday this afternoon at 1pm and were sold out in a minute.

What do you guys make of playing these games in a small capacity venue (1,200) when the last Mayo v Galway FBD game attracted over 7,000.

Blackjack · 11-01-2023 04:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120094792#Comment_120094792

I think it's case of damned if they do and damned if they don't. Having it in the dome means much greater certainty of the game actually going ahead. At this time of year games get called off at the last minute due to weather conditions, waterlogged pitches and the 7000 or so that have tickets have a problem with that too, not to mind the players who'd be all geared up for the game.

Likely to be less chance of injuries for players too which is a huge consideration.

The facility is there, it should be used and for games like this it's ideal. I probably would not be able to travel to the game as it stands whereas now I've a chance of watching on a stream, and going to the Tooreen game in Croke park. Win win for me anyway.

BKWDR · 11-01-2023 04:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120093438#Comment_120093438

As a Dub, no problem saying Keegan was by and far head and shoulders above a lot of players in the country. He will be missed and if i was mad about the GPS thing, it was momentary and couldnt have cared if he said a decade of the rosary or wrote rock a letter, he tried to do something to help his team, and it didnt work. Personally I remember the giddy excitement of the replays or how the story of him versus Connolly was the pinnacle of excitement on the lead up to a game. Was a great player , but albeit he is young, and has his family now, i think him and players like him have a lot of miles on the clock.

But can i ask, why is there an asterisk beside any of the AI's Dublin won?

(i would minorly concede an asterisk point on the 6th in a row, down to no crowds and covid, but the history books wont care)

spakman · 11-01-2023 04:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120094792#Comment_120094792

It's only the FBD, nobody will remember it in a few weeks, especially when we will be playing Galway again "for real" in the league in a couple of weeks.

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