Kettle says onus on Donegal to prove McBrearty ‘bite’

Dublin GAA chairman Andy Kettle says the burden of proof rests with Donegal to prove that Paddy McBrearty really was bitten at the weekend.

Donegal officials are standing over reports their young forward received a ‘laceration’ to his shoulder, consistent with a bite, during Sunday’s Allianz League stalemate in Ballybofey.

According to Donegal secretary Aodh Mairtin Ó Fearraigh, the matter now rests with Croke Park who are expected to investigate the incident.

It’s understood the alleged offence was retrospectively brought to the attention of referee Pádraig Hughes on the day, as well as Sligo official Michael Duffy, who replaced the injured Hughes during the game.

However, top Dublin official Kettle said he needs to be convinced anything actually occurred and claimed the onus is now on Donegal to back up the allegation.

“I don’t accept something did happen,” said Kettle.

“Until I am asked officially to investigate by the Donegal county board, I won’t be doing anything.”

While media reports of a laceration to McBrearty were yesterday deemed to be ‘accurate enough’ by Ó Fearraigh, Kettle took him to task on this.

“Our medic, who knows the Donegal medic, I think they went to college together, I’m not quite sure, but they are acquainted with each other and he did visit the (Donegal) dressing-room,” continued Kettle.

“My understanding is that he saw a bruise, not a laceration, a bruise.”

Kettle later added that several Dublin players left the field with bruises too. “We’ll have to wait to see the referee’s report and see what’s in it. I don’t know what it says in the report.

“But I did ask the linesman at half-time about bookings. We weren’t sure whether Paul Flynn had a yellow card issued to him or not.

“He said he’d check it with me. When we came out after half-time, as I was giving Michael Duffy the sub sheets, he did say Paul Flynn had been booked. There was no mention of anything else.”

Kettle was speaking at Dublin’s Gibson Hotel where ROS Nutrition confirmed they will supply their products to Dublin’s footballers for the next three years.

Dublin’s next big assignment is Sunday’s Allianz League semi-final against Mayo at Croke Park, a tie Paddy Andrews is expected to feature in.

The free scoring corner-forward appears a player reborn under new boss Jim Gavin with a steady stream of consistent performances having failed to established himself as a regular under Pat Gilroy.

“I came into the team under ‘Pillar’ Caffrey actually, I think I was 18 or 19, and I kind of expected it all to be easy in some ways,” said Andrews. “And anyone who has played and had success at this level knows that talent is certainly not enough to be successful at this. Maybe it took me a year or two longer than others to realise that.”