The Donaghy debate

WE probably didn’t realise it at the time, but when Joe and Justin McMahon figured out how to deal with the retro-style full-forward in the 2008 All-Ireland final, we were most likely witnessing the eclipse of a particular attacking ploy and the beginning of another era in full-forward play.

Kerry, with one of their most celebrated full-forward lines ever, failed to register a score in the closing 14 minutes of an All-Ireland football final. The writing was on the wall and a two-year-old trick that had transformed their fortunes was about to become part of their undoing.

In that very same game, we saw in Seán Cavanagh’s performance a model or prototype for what the post-modern full-forward could become. On his way to man of the match and player of the year, Cavanagh roamed with impunity, sniffed out breaks and scored mostly by coming off the shoulder of colleagues at pace.