Fergus Connolly Interview: Protecting the player, and the game

Fergus Connolly has trained sports teams all over the world and helped Dublin to an All-Ireland. His biggest fear for the GAA is the abuse of players by irresponsible managers...

THE conversation with Fergus Connolly took a few twists and turns, but the reason for the chat in the first place was pretty simple.

He seemed the obvious man to talk to regarding pressing issues such as burnout and player welfare in the GAA, given his experience training Gaelic football teams (Derry, Dublin), rugby teams (Munster, Wales), English Premier League teams (Bolton Wanderers, Liverpool), American football teams (San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns), as well as elite US special operations units. He was also the keynote speaker to the AFL Coaches Association last year.