Mike said on the podcast that he heard a whisper that Oisin could be back in 26. Is it too soon to get excited. Really hope he’s right.

Oh crikey now there’s a real positive to look forward to if true

@Nephin I won't say what I heard as rumours not allowed on blog but I heard from a good source could be right.

Don't know how much oisin enjoyed the aussie rules out there how great would be if it is true!

“I won’t say but I heard from a good source “. Gwan Clare , merry Xmas to ya .

@sean Burke my bad there haha

Happy christmas to you to, and @willie Joe and everyone else on the blog!

Well now, that would be interesting :)

Let's play him in his best position (if this is true)

Say nothing Clare , it's a great quality!!
Happy Christmas to you

@My Ball haha happy christmas to you to : )

Here is hoping we have a better season next year then we did this year! Great to hear paddy durcan is doing so well in recovery.

Knew he would such a leader! Mcstay said he will most likely be available before end of league if his recovery keeps going as well ad it is!

Didn't think Paddy would be going that well, felt like that could really put Paddy back for a year or two.

Mayo Senior panel was training in the Connacht GAA centre yesterday, James Horan involved in the session probably getting all clued into the new rules.

NFL by the looks of it will be used as guinea pig competition and after it HQ along with the Football Review Committee will decide which rules to keep or scrap before the championship.

Happy Christmas everyone on the blog

I always like Paddy Finegan but I didn’t like when speaking about McDonald and then generally about gaa players( and he’s not the first to do it ) him saying that playing Afl is a ‘great chance’, and I was disappointed he wasn’t countered by Boyler or Mike. Surely, the ‘chance’ to lift Sam for Mayo is much more appealing than playing a game you’ve (a) never played in your life, (b) never followed in your life and (c) probably never seen live in person. Yeah, you’re getting paid for it but is life all about money!?? It’s not like afl money is insanely high. I just don’t get the mindset and it’s rife on this blog , which is a snapshot of the general consensus in Mayo, and has been for years, that going to afl is somehow a more prestigious goal than playing senior for Mayo and that chance…that one chance, to be on that team that finally ends the famine and decades of torture for Mayo people!! You’d be a hero for life and long after you’re gone! Money can’t buy that dream. Nothing you’ll ever do in feckn Australia will go close to it! Winning medals with Carlton, Geelong?? Are you having a f&cking laugh??

Pearse Hanley, Boyler mentioned him, was a massive loss. Personally I cannot understand how he didn’t come back to play for a couple of seasons at least especially when he would have made a huge difference to a team on the brink of glory. I just don’t get it. It saddens me to think someone growing up, supporting Mayo, playing the game, dreaming of pulling on the green and red and climbing the steps in the Hogan Stand that they’d prefer to head to Australia permanently. I don’t get it. I never have and I don’t get how others seem so ok about it. Almost supportive of it and worse, who see it as a ‘great chance’.

I’d imagine at that stage Hanley had set up his life in Aus?
No guarantees a returning Oz player returns at the same level. Sure the S&C should be superior given professional status but the skills would need re honing.
I still see Oisin as a utility player, one of the few around e.g. who can mark Clifford most days out or the likes of Rian O Neill.
If he returns, the first poster said in 26 not 25.
Regarding Paddy, great to hear of the progress but it normally takes 2 years to get back to the same level even in professional soccer. Year 1 would expect him more coming on as an experienced sub and we continue to build the defensive options.

On the positive side, Donnacha McHugh had a great 24 and hopefully can continue the upward trend and our other Corner back options have built experience. Since Oisin left David McBrien came to the fore so there mightn’t be the same need for Oisin if he comes back to go FB, though some are also calling in the same way for McBrien to moved up the field. Mickey Harte got one of Tyrone’s best midfielders McAnallen to play full back and for the brief time he played was imperious in that position. He also brought the 2 brother back to tackle Kerry’s twin towers and it worked. Dublin had Ross O Carroll who couldn’t be bet until after his hiatus and further back there was Darren Fay, Seamus Moynihan. For a while Donegal’s McGee ruled the roost. Our own Kevin Cahill was another who couldn’t be bet. Even P Joyce couldn’t get the better of Moynihan , a man said to be wasted at FB and Joyce was the best FF around. There’s a lot to be said for plugging the FB hole well. Not sure if our corner backs can handle Canavan who requires our best marker should we face Tyrone at any stage. Definitely one of the top 5 forwards in the Country.
This year should be wide open. We came with a point and were unlucky not to beat (due to dubious reffing) the same team who threw away the AI final. We didn’t close out 3 Uber tight games. In one of those 3 Derry returned closer to puke Ulster football. The rule changes should get rid of some of that. We probably don’t have a marquee player bar maybe Ryan OD but were still damn close last year despite our best defender and one of the main leaders out of action for a lot of it. I’d only have us top 8 but the difference from 1 to 8 is minimal. We still benefit from playing in Div 1. It may be possible to win this year without any real stars. A big focus should be on developing the close out strategy. Armagh eventually came good despite the same thing happening for them. Having super sub Campbell also showed the merit in holding stars back for the melting pot. For us .. one for all and all for one.

Would be amazing to have mullin back could well be sooner then 26 if it is true.

A great post that Shuffly Deck.

Mcbrien,Mchugh,Callinan,Eoghan Mc and Hession if he can get a run could quite easily be the majority of our 2 back lines for years to come. Those lads have age on their side and you'd think there is plenty more to come from them yet. Add in Mullin if he returns and you wouldn't be unhappy at all with that back 6.

I can't help thinking back to that Dublin game and had we held on that was an AI Quarter final against Louth.
No Cillian obviously and am i right in saying James Carr opted out as well? AOS and Tommy missing for a while means we're a bit thin on the ground.
I'd be giving Towey a go in the league. Not just a few minutes here and there. Give the lad a proper chance.

Yep Carr has opted out according to reports . Serious fook up imo with the new rules his ilk will be worth his weight in gold (i understand the injury argument too before im attacked )

@Mind the House: Yeah, you'd expect Paul to get a real opportunity the way the deck is stacked at the moment.

With Aido, Diarmuid and Tommy all expected to be out in the early rounds (and you'd imagine Jordan given a bit of a rest too once Cross finish their run) he'd be in the top 6 forwards for minutes played this year and in terms of total county appearances too.

Name - Age - '24 League Minutes - Total Appearances
Ryan O'Donoghue - 26 - 442 - 61
Fergal Boland - 29 - 424 - 60
Jack Carney - 23 - 415 - 40
Jordan Flynn - 26 - 411 - 61
Tommy Conroy - 25 - 391 - 46
Aidan O'Shea - 34 - 358 - 205
Bob Tuohy - 21 - 317 - 24
Darren McHale - 30 - 120 - 28
Paul Towey - 24 - 114 - 24
Diarmuid Duffy - 19 - 92 - 3
Diarmuid O'Connor - 29 - 75 - 123

(Then potentially throw in any of Prendergast, Thornton, Neary, C McHale, N Coggins, O'Flaherty, Dawson, Melvin, E Duffy, F McLaughlin or Phillips among potential new faces)

You'd fancy RO'D, Flynn, DO'C & O'Shea to start when fit and available once push comes to shove. You'd imagine Carney & Conroy ahead of the pack to join them (with 1 of Flynn/DO'C/Carney likely joining Ruane in midfield). So in my mind with everyone fully fit leaves at least 1 spot open (I'd have imagined Towey favourite to fill it battling with D McHale) & all spots with plenty of opportunity for a Prendergast/Thornton/C McHale to lay claim with the opportunities you'd expect they'll see in the league if they catch the eye.

Paul Towey has a real chance to stand up. He has great potential just needs bit more confidence in him and proper game time.

Generally speaking our management since 2011 have put our best available players out.
Some great white hopes talked about on the forum did not cut the mustard in the heat of championship battle.

@Tsu.

Apart from not giving Cillian more game time the other gripe I had with Mcstay was not bringing Towey on at the start of extra time against Derry. Towey didn't come on until half time in extra time if i remember right when we were 3 points down. He very nearly pulled it out of the fire for us as well.
I'm still of the opinion though that Mcstay did plenty more right than wrong last year.
Let's hope we learned a few lessons.