OF COURSE, THERE is the small matter of an All-Ireland final to get out of the way first, but it’s never been too early to consider – seriously consider – where Kobe McDonald will be kicking leather, a month from now.
Will it be in maroon and white just half a mile out the Ballina Road? Or could it be in red, white and black of St Kilda, in an entirely different sport?
Should Kobe (it seems odd to refer to an 18-year-old by surname) wake up early in a strange Dublin hotel room this Sunday, he might be tempted, like any teenager, to have a scan of his phone as he wiles down the hours to their kickabout with Kerry.
There is a good chance that coverage of North Melbourne and St Kilda, throwing in at 6.15am Irish time, will be running.
It’s game week 20 of 24 weeks. St Kilda are listing in tenth place, unlikely to make the post-season. Will Kobe be already thinking of them as ‘us’?
Mayo manager Andy Moran was asked about the chances of McDonald remaining in Mayo at the recent press conference.
“I’m never going to talk a young fella out of doing that, it’s his choice,” Moran said.
Pat Spillane outlined those, saying, “We’re lucky in Kerry, I know a lot of Kerry players have been approached and I would hazard a guess, but I’m not certain, but I would say (those players) were given a good enough deal to stay at home whether it was scholarships or whatever.
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“Look, I don’t begrudge him, because the chance of getting paid for playing a professional sport in Australia, it’s brilliant. But, Christ, surely to God there’s a group of wealthy Mayo people that could come together and give him a package.”
That wasn’t ruled out by Moran, saying such as offer would be “a given” but the chance to play sport full-time as a professional was the incentive. “Will I put the other option in play? Of course you will, of course you’re trying to do that,” he said.
“But I have a great relationship with his Dad (Ciarán), an unbelievable relationship with his Dad, and I’m very grateful for them to play this year at senior football and we’re just absolutely delighted to have the young kid.”
Ciarán McDonald against Éamonn Fitzmaurice in the 2004 All-Ireland final. INPHO
INPHO
Mayo and wealthy businessmen are a can of worms that not many in that county want to go near right now.
But it has happened in other cases.
In January 2020, it was announced that Tyrone player and recently-minted All Star Cathal McShane was to train with the Adelaide Crows for a couple of weeks.
He was 24 at the time. He went out and had a taste. By early February he made the decision he wasn’t going.
Soon after, there was a media release that he would start working at Keystone Lintels in Cookstown.
To get a sense of how big this was treated at the time, the announcement was handled by Impact Communications, featuring Mickey Harte turning up for McShane’s first day at work for a photo opportunity with the player and his new boss, Keystone chairman Sean Coyle.
A few weeks later, McShane suffered a horrendous injury in a league game against Galway, one month before the first Covid lockdown. He returned to play a crucial role as an impact sub in Tyrone’s 2021 All-Ireland win, but he never reached the same heights due to the injury.
The handy job for a county player always sounds good in theory.
Many have benefitted from it. Colm Cooper landed a job in AIB and strangely found some anonymity with it.
He recalled a story of helping a lady at the counter early in the week of one All-Ireland final he was playing in, when she was yakking away about the weekend coming and heading up to Dublin.
Kobe McDonald showing the athleticism required for Aussie Rules. james lawlor photos
james lawlor photos
She then asked Gooch if he was going up himself for the match, and he modestly replied that a few of them were thinking of staying up and making a weekend of it. Pleasantries exchanged, the lady went on her way.
She landed in a day later, mortified and apologetic that she hadn’t recognised him. As if Gooch out of his Kerry kit and behind the counter in a smart shirt was just too far out of context to be believed.
It was tried with Kobe’s father Ciarán. John Maughan tried to take him out of the trenches when he was laying pipe alongside his father, Danny.
They got him into a bank job, wearing a suit and tie. He didn’t last a full week and went back to his old job.
The package to tempt Kobe would more likely involve a college scholarship with a promise of a plum job within his range of interests.
St Kilda can play this smart and leave him to mature for another while, freeing him up to play a club season with Crossmolina. While they might be keen for him to get a block of strength and conditioning work to prepare him for the rigours of the AFL pre-season, they cannot alter anything too drastic when he is still playing games.
It shouldn’t go unnoticed that when Geelong Cats’ Mark O’Connor was the AFL’s in-form player for the early rounds, his head coach Chris Scott credited his “Irish off-season”, where he helped Dingle to the All-Ireland club title.
Some players have gone over at 18 and made it in the AFL. Others found the wrench away from the familiarity of home life too much and couldn’t settle.
A pertinent example is Kyle Coney.
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Fresh from winning an All-Ireland minor title in 2008, he went straight to Sydney Swans, having never lived away from home before.
His contract included flights home. He went home that Christmas. Ardboe had won the Tyrone minor title and he was captain.
Just in time for their Ulster minor club championship. Their game was against the neighbouring parish, Ballinderry of Derry. In the background, strenuous efforts were being made by Tyrone to convince him where his future lay.
From that point on, his heart wasn’t in the AFL.
That might be the same case for Kobe. It would seem incredible if the wheels were not long in motion of a project to convince him to stay.
All of Mayo, and many beyond, hope that is the case.
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Kobe: Should he stay or should he go?
OF COURSE, THERE is the small matter of an All-Ireland final to get out of the way first, but it’s never been too early to consider – seriously consider – where Kobe McDonald will be kicking leather, a month from now.
Will it be in maroon and white just half a mile out the Ballina Road? Or could it be in red, white and black of St Kilda, in an entirely different sport?
Should Kobe (it seems odd to refer to an 18-year-old by surname) wake up early in a strange Dublin hotel room this Sunday, he might be tempted, like any teenager, to have a scan of his phone as he wiles down the hours to their kickabout with Kerry.
There is a good chance that coverage of North Melbourne and St Kilda, throwing in at 6.15am Irish time, will be running.
It’s game week 20 of 24 weeks. St Kilda are listing in tenth place, unlikely to make the post-season. Will Kobe be already thinking of them as ‘us’?
Mayo manager Andy Moran was asked about the chances of McDonald remaining in Mayo at the recent press conference.
“I’m never going to talk a young fella out of doing that, it’s his choice,” Moran said.
There are options to pursue.
Pat Spillane outlined those, saying, “We’re lucky in Kerry, I know a lot of Kerry players have been approached and I would hazard a guess, but I’m not certain, but I would say (those players) were given a good enough deal to stay at home whether it was scholarships or whatever.
“Look, I don’t begrudge him, because the chance of getting paid for playing a professional sport in Australia, it’s brilliant. But, Christ, surely to God there’s a group of wealthy Mayo people that could come together and give him a package.”
That wasn’t ruled out by Moran, saying such as offer would be “a given” but the chance to play sport full-time as a professional was the incentive. “Will I put the other option in play? Of course you will, of course you’re trying to do that,” he said.
“But I have a great relationship with his Dad (Ciarán), an unbelievable relationship with his Dad, and I’m very grateful for them to play this year at senior football and we’re just absolutely delighted to have the young kid.”
Mayo and wealthy businessmen are a can of worms that not many in that county want to go near right now.
But it has happened in other cases.
In January 2020, it was announced that Tyrone player and recently-minted All Star Cathal McShane was to train with the Adelaide Crows for a couple of weeks.
He was 24 at the time. He went out and had a taste. By early February he made the decision he wasn’t going.
Soon after, there was a media release that he would start working at Keystone Lintels in Cookstown.
To get a sense of how big this was treated at the time, the announcement was handled by Impact Communications, featuring Mickey Harte turning up for McShane’s first day at work for a photo opportunity with the player and his new boss, Keystone chairman Sean Coyle.
A few weeks later, McShane suffered a horrendous injury in a league game against Galway, one month before the first Covid lockdown. He returned to play a crucial role as an impact sub in Tyrone’s 2021 All-Ireland win, but he never reached the same heights due to the injury.
The handy job for a county player always sounds good in theory.
Many have benefitted from it. Colm Cooper landed a job in AIB and strangely found some anonymity with it.
He recalled a story of helping a lady at the counter early in the week of one All-Ireland final he was playing in, when she was yakking away about the weekend coming and heading up to Dublin.
She then asked Gooch if he was going up himself for the match, and he modestly replied that a few of them were thinking of staying up and making a weekend of it. Pleasantries exchanged, the lady went on her way.
She landed in a day later, mortified and apologetic that she hadn’t recognised him. As if Gooch out of his Kerry kit and behind the counter in a smart shirt was just too far out of context to be believed.
It was tried with Kobe’s father Ciarán. John Maughan tried to take him out of the trenches when he was laying pipe alongside his father, Danny.
They got him into a bank job, wearing a suit and tie. He didn’t last a full week and went back to his old job.
The package to tempt Kobe would more likely involve a college scholarship with a promise of a plum job within his range of interests.
St Kilda can play this smart and leave him to mature for another while, freeing him up to play a club season with Crossmolina. While they might be keen for him to get a block of strength and conditioning work to prepare him for the rigours of the AFL pre-season, they cannot alter anything too drastic when he is still playing games.
It shouldn’t go unnoticed that when Geelong Cats’ Mark O’Connor was the AFL’s in-form player for the early rounds, his head coach Chris Scott credited his “Irish off-season”, where he helped Dingle to the All-Ireland club title.
Some players have gone over at 18 and made it in the AFL. Others found the wrench away from the familiarity of home life too much and couldn’t settle.
A pertinent example is Kyle Coney.
Fresh from winning an All-Ireland minor title in 2008, he went straight to Sydney Swans, having never lived away from home before.
His contract included flights home. He went home that Christmas. Ardboe had won the Tyrone minor title and he was captain.
Just in time for their Ulster minor club championship. Their game was against the neighbouring parish, Ballinderry of Derry. In the background, strenuous efforts were being made by Tyrone to convince him where his future lay.
From that point on, his heart wasn’t in the AFL.
That might be the same case for Kobe. It would seem incredible if the wheels were not long in motion of a project to convince him to stay.
All of Mayo, and many beyond, hope that is the case.
*****
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All-Ireland Final column Kobe Mayo the decision