DUBLIN MANAGER MICK Bohan admits he’s got a series of big calls to make regarding personnel for Sunday’s TG4 All-Ireland ladies football final against Meath.
Speaking at a launch organised by Dublin GAA sponsors AIG, the four-in-a-row winning Sky Blues boss said that Carla Rowe, Niamh McEvoy and Siobhan McGrath aren’t yet training fully.
Bohan didn’t specify the injuries though it was known that Rowe missed the semi-final win over Mayo with a hamstring injury while McEvoy was only fit enough to come on due to a calf problem.
Niamh Collins also withdrew from the lineup against Mayo with a groin problem though AFLW player Sinead Goldrick did make her first appearance of the season as a sub in that game following serious hamstring issues.
“There are a few who haven’t trained fully yet, Carla, Niamh McEvoy and Siobhan McGrath, the three of them are carrying stuff so we obviously won’t know until later in the week how that goes,” said Bohan, who revealed that eight-time All-Star Goldrick is pushing hard to start after recovering from a hamstring problem that initially required three surgeries.
“The person she is, not only has she herself under pressure, she’s got me under pressure but that’s the nature of the animal.
“She’s probably one of the most competitive people I’ve ever met in sport but we’ve got to be realistic. She came back from a career threatening injury and we’ve had to manage her time in training and in in-house games. She still hasn’t gone the distance in any of those but she’s done remarkably well considering where she started.”
Goldrick, along with Dublin colleagues McEvoy and Lauren Magee, competed in the AFLW last season.
Bohan said he encourages players to live full lives and to embrace the opportunities presented in Australia.
“It was interesting at the time when Cora (Staunton) went out first that it was almost publicised by the LGFA as a coup that the Aussies had come looking for their footballers,” said Bohan.
“I’m not quite sure they foresaw what was going to happen next! My approach to that has been exactly the same as if someone was going travelling for studies or something like Noelle (Healy) whose career dictated that she couldn’t give the same amount of time.
“Much as they’re here to play football, they’re here to better their lives and I saw the football as enhancing that opportunity for Goldie, Macker and Lauren Magee and we were probably lucky with how the seasons fell too. It didn’t interrupt hugely although in Goldie’s situation she picked up a really serious injury.”
On final opponents Meath, who are considerable underdogs after shocking Armagh and Cork in the knock-out stages having only won the intermediate title last December, Bohan said they’re a curious outfit.
“Very different structure to a lot of teams, the way they play,” he said. “Even Donegal, who would have quite a defensive system, this is very different to anything I’ve seen in the women’s game before.
“It’s a very organised defensive structure and then they probably attack with a little bit of mayhem which obviously causes its own difficulties. Their attack is kind of a freestyle one, but their defence is really well organised and is obviously going to take a bit of work to break down.”
*AIG is the official insurance partner of the LGFA and has announced a new 15% discount off car insurance for all LGFA members at www.aig.ie/lgfa
