Five gaelic footballers to focus on this season

Eoghan Cormican marks out five young players that could take the gaelic football season by storm. 

Ross McGarry (Down)

Although having lined out at minor and U21 level for Down, 23-year old McGarry has yet to make the senior leap. His performances for St Peter’s Warrenpoint in the Ulster club intermediate championship and Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final — the corner-forward kicked four points and was easily the best on show at O’Moore Park — will almost certainly have drawn the attention of new manager Jim McCorry. Time for that leap.

Darren McCurry (Tyrone)

Since his eleventh hour call up to the senior ranks in July of 2012, McCurry has repaid the faith shown in him by Mickey Harte in spades. The corner-forward enjoyed a positive debut league campaign in 2014 and has already suggested 2015 will be another progressive season for the Edendork St Malachy’s footballer. He landed four points when sprung from the bench in Saturday’s McKenna Cup decider.

Conor Sweeney (Tipperary)

Will shoulder the marked man status in each of Tipperary’s Division 3 outings. Why? Because he finished as the league’s top-scorer and the championship’s third highest scorer in 2014. The Tipperary attack already carries a certain degree of potency through Michael Quinlivan, Barry Grogan and Philip Austin. Sweeney’s responsibilities, therefore, must stretch to encompass that of conductor.

Podge Collins (Clare)

Clare’s decision to withdraw from the McGrath Cup means we’ve yet to see football-only Podge Collins in action this year. Was the central figure in Cratloe’s successful defence of their county title last November and is likely to again adopt a roving role in the saffron and blue in 2015. With his efforts concentrated on just one code and therefore available for all league games unlike 2014, the hard-working half-forward will be pivotal to Clare’s Division 3 promotion push.

Diarmuid Murtagh (Roscommon)

First victory over Mayo in Castlebar since 1986, followed by FBD league final win. Not a bad January for Roscommon, not a bad month either for their left-footed corner-forward from St Faithleach’s. Murtagh. Still eligible for U21, he kicked 1-4 in Sunday’s decider and is expected to fill the final slot in the Roscommon full-forward line alongside experienced campaigners Cathal Cregg and Senan Kilbride this spring.