Shortly after he was appointed as Antrim’s new strength and conditioning coach last October, Brian Magee implored the players to aim high.

Do a Wikipedia search for ‘Joe Schmidt’ and you won’t be hit with a bio and pic of Ireland’s current rugby union coach, writes Brendan O’Brien.

Anyone seeking evidence on the obsession for strength and conditioning which has swept through the GAA should have been at a seminar in Belfast.

While some people will really savour the prospect of a ‘traditional’ final between Dublin and Kerry — I’m not one of them.

Joique Bell’s arms stretch behind his head as if pulled by an individual rope.

Fitness and conditioning guru Mike McGurn warns Carlow’s disappointing Leinster championship opener shows no amount of gym work will compensate for a shortage of skills.

GAA players are professional in everything but name and professional everywhere but pocket, suggests John Fogarty.

And so it goes. This romantic notion we had that dual players had a lasting future at the pinnacle of Gaelic games.

MUNSTER SFC FINAL:

Irish rugby international Eoin Reddan believes Mike McGurn can play a key role in revolutionising the strength and fitness culture around Irish soccer as he begins a new role as the FAI’s conditioning guru.

Although a deal had still not been signed off as of last night, the FAI are entirely happy that Martin O’Neill will be unveiled as the manager of the Republic of Ireland this week.

Any theory which espouses the view that the less well off don’t stand a chance against the nation’s fat cats is always going to curry favour with a certain audience.

MANAGERS who break the training ban are acting in the best interests of their players’ welfare as they face pre-season action, according to Ireland International Rules fitness coach Mike McGurn.

HAILED as the fittest player in the Ireland squad by physical trainer Mike McGurn, Aidan Walsh is hoping this year’s series is the beginning of a long and successful International Rules career.

THE GAA spared no expense in ensuring their International Rules players travelled to Melbourne in comfort.

Dublin's All-Ireland final hero Stephen Cluxton and Laois' former Aussie Rules player Colm Begley are free to play for Ireland in the International Rules Series against Australia.

PUNDIT or inter-county coach — Oisín McConville could be forgiven for getting confused.

The GAA's National Coaching Conference at Croke Park and another GAA Conference in Donegal have fallen victim to the bad weather.

LEIGHTON GLYNN insists Ireland are ready for Australia’s biggest hits and won’t view it as an ‘affront to their manhood’ when slung to the ground.

Bernard Brogan faces a club versus country dilemma ahead of Ireland’s International Rules opener in Limerick.

BERNARD BROGAN faces a club versus country dilemma ahead of Ireland’s International Rules opener in Limerick.

CLARE senior football boss Michéal McDermott has secured the services of renowned fitness coach Mike McGurn for the 2011 season.

LEADING strength and conditioning coach Mike McGurn has questioned the wisdom of Henry Shefflin playing in the All-Ireland SHC final four weeks after the Kilkenny legend suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury.

FORMER Armagh star Justin McNulty was last night appointed Laois senior football manager.

THIS was a very enjoyable and sporting game played between two evenly-matched teams, both in transition, on a perfect evening for football.

LAST September, Steven McDonnell made it known he was considering his future with Armagh. He was going to draw a curtain on a storied career if the management set-up he backed was not appointed.

Armagh's Steven McDonnell today received the GAA Vodafone Footballer of the Month award for April, following some outstanding displays during the Orchard County's run to Division 2 league success less than a fortnight ago.

DIVISION TWO league finals tend to leave little in the way of a lasting impression but yesterday’s footprint dug a little deeper, if only for another entry into the catalogue of memorable displays from Steven McDonnell.

TRAINER Mike McGurn says the Armagh players are so psyched up for next month’s Ulster SFC clash with Derry that they’ve hardly said a word about Sunday’s Allianz league Division 2 final.

NEW Ireland boss Anthony Tohill insists he has no interest in recruiting players who view the International Rules series as a junket to Australia.

WHEN Kilmurry-Ibrickane chairman Gerald Talty began preparing the club’s blueprint for the 2008 season, he felt there was a need to head in a new direction.

DOWN legend Paddy O’Rourke has stressed he will have no divided loyalties in his new role as Armagh manager.

WEXFORD football manager Jason Ryan accepts that the GAA is trying to address the burnout issue but reckons that there is no ‘one-size fits all’ solution.

MAGNERS LEAGUE winning coach Tony McGahan yesterday denied that Irish rugby is fixated with producing gymnasium robots rather than skilful rugby players.

DIRECTOR GENERAL Paraic Duffy has rejected claims that the GAA’s closed season rule is ‘crazy’ – and warned of harsh financial penalties for counties that break it.

ONE of the country’s leading strength and conditioning experts believes that the GAA is “missing the point” by banning collective training in November and December to address issues of burnout.

THE IRFU’s former fitness and conditioning coach Mike McGurn has blasted rugby’s obsession with bulking up and claimed that academy systems were producing ‘robots’ who ‘have no game management skills.’

MICHAEL CARRUTH believes that more inter-county football teams could benefit enormously by welcoming an influx of expertise from various other sporting backgrounds.

IT seemed like a routine assignment at first. Arrangements had been made, the editor explained, to meet the renowned strength and conditioning coach Mike McGurn at Dublin Airport at 9am the next day.

THE Canterbury Crusaders are turning to Gaelic football in an effort to reclaim their place at the summit of the Super 14 pile.

BERNARD DUNNE is putting the finishing touches to his preparations for the defence of his WBA World Super Bantamweight title against Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym of Thailand at the O2 on Saturday week.

It has been been confirmed that WBA Super Bantamweight champion Bernard Dunne will make the first defence of his title at the O2 in Dublin on Saturday, September 26, when he faces number one-rated contender Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym.

BERNARD DUNNE has promised fireworks and an education for the challenger in his first WBA super-bantamweight title defence at the O2 Arena on September 26.

FORMER Ireland fitness coach Mike McGurn has stepped down from his role with the Ospreys due to family reasons.