Underrated Paddy Andrews could make the difference for Dublin
Brogan, Connolly, Flynn, Kilkenny, Rock, O’Gara, Kev Mc and possibly this year Mannion and Con O’Callaghan could all be name-checked before Andrews gets a mention. While this may be the case in the public eye, the pecking order and ranking from Jim Gavin’s perspective and within the Dublin squad is very different.
Many of the star names in the Dublin attack these days have had what appears like a seamless transition through the grades.
Ciaran Kilkenny, Con O’Callaghan and Paul Mannion have been standout minor and U21 players and while Andrews was highly regarded as an underage player — he was involved with the minor squad for three years – his journey to a key senior team member has included detours along the way.
When Paddy joined the senior squad in 2008 it was with high expectations and while his quality and football ability was obvious from the start, it took him some time to get to grips with the demands that being an inter-county footballer brings.
When Pillar Caffrey finished at the end of 2008, after giving Paddy his championship debut against Louth, the arrival of Pat Gilroy and Mickey Whelan was expected to be a very positive transition for Paddy.
When Pillar Caffrey finished at the end of 2008, after giving Paddy his championship debut against Louth, the arrival of Pat Gilroy and Mickey Whelan was expected to be a very positive transition for Paddy.
At this stage, Dublin were struggling for options in the full back line and although he had spent his entire career as a forward, a brief Sigerson campaign that spring as a defender saw Paddy go into the championship as a starting corner back.
After a solid display against Kildare in the Leinster final, he realised corner-back in Croke Park is a different proposition when he had to try to slow down the Gooch and the rest of a Kerry forward line that ran riot in all areas of over the pitch.
When we returned to Dublin in 2010, Paddy was still in DCU where he captained the 2010 Sigerson Cup winning team (as a corner forward).
This team included Dublin team-mates Bryan Cullen, Philly McMahon, Jonny Cooper and Paul Flynn, yet it was the St Brigid’s man elected to lead them, a pretty resounding vote of confidence as a dressing room character.
And yet over the next 18 months, he was in and out of the Dublin squad as he sought to find the balance of an intercounty lifestyle.
His time away from the squad coincided with the 2011 All-Ireland win and highlighted to him what he was missing. He has talked in the past how things had come so easy to him as an underage and college footballer. Now there was a different level of work and maturity to be found.
I believe a turning point for him was his campaign with his club in 2011. He led Brigids to a Dublin senior county championship and to a Leinster final, delivering a number of exceptional displays along the way.
The arrival of Jim Gavin in 2013 was the clean slate Paddy needed and gave him an opportunity to show how much of an addition he could be to the Dublin squad. Jim’s attacking style also played into the high skill set and football intelligence he possesses.
One of the consistent traits in the players Jim selects is their ability to do the fundamentals of the game to a very high level. That may sound like a minimum requirement for all inter-county footballers but it is obvious Dublin place a huge emphasis on getting the basic skills right as often as possible. Where other teams might go after improvements in the physical or strength areas — these are easier to measure and show improvement — Dublin continue to push to improve their skill and movement patterns. Paddy is an excellent example of someone who continues to improve all areas required in an inside forward.
Start with his movement: he knows he may have to make three of four hard runs in advance of the ball coming in to lose a man or create space for others. If one had access to the high behind-the-goal cameras, one will see exactly why Paddy is so effective.
While he wouldn’t have the electric pace of some other inside forwards his movement and spatial awareness are both of the highest quality.
When in possession he also is very smart. Watch how many times he will cut across the defender after he has taken him on. He knows that by taking the defenders ground, he is either going to be fouled or the defender will have to slow down, allowing him to get a shot off.
His shooting accuracy is also at an elite level. Equally comfortable shooting off right or left, his shooting range is wider than many other Dublin forwards. His first point in the semi-final against Tyrone is a perfect example, from nearly a standing position under the Cusack Stand shooting into Hill 16 (technically on the wrong side for a right footer). It sailed over.
Mayo won’t need any warning on his accuracy after his 0-5 from play in a man of the match performance in the 2015 semi-final replay.
In most other inter-county teams he’d likely be the main man, a player to build the forward line around. This Dublin team isn’t built around any individuals but Paddy Andrews has proven time and again that he is a key element in the bigger picture.
It might have taken him a little longer to get here but every other man in the Dublin dressing room on Sunday will be thankful he is with them.
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