Gilroy defends early morning training sessions

Dublin senior football manager Pat Gilroy has strongly defended his decision to host early morning training sessions, as the Metropolitans get their 2011 preparations underway.

Gilroy insists that the 6.30am workouts paid dividends for his side last season. Their first pre-dawn training session of the New Year was held earlier today, and the Dubs will continue to hold similar sessions for the remainder of this month.

"It's good to start early, it gives lads a chance to get to work afterwards and a lot of fellas prefer that to being out five times per week," explained Gilroy.

"There is stuff you just have to fit into this month. It's the only time of the year you have a chance to do it.

"This just allows us to do work in a certain way - we might do a little bit of it, but again it all depends on the weather."

Dublin overcame the Dubs Stars in their annual challenge match at Russell Park last Saturday, but taste their first inter-county action of 2011 this Sunday against Westmeath in the opening round of the O'Byrne Cup.

Gilroy expects to field a hugely experimental team for the game at Cusack Park in Mullingar.

"At last count, it was 24 different fellas that we can't use this month due to injury or because they're committed to their colleges or with Kilmacud's club run.

"It'll definitely be a new-look team playing in the O'Byrne Cup, but that's no harm," he added.

The Dubs boss admits that it will be difficult to cut his extended panel before the National League opener against Armagh on February 5.

"We can't whittle it down yet, otherwise we'd have no team out in the O'Byrne Cup, so you have to carry a big panel in the month of January.

"We have 45 players training just to have 22 for it. We'll have to bring that down to about 32 or 33 for training purposes come the National League, and then you're only able to bring 26 (on an official panel).

"That makes it a little bit harder and tighter on fellas to make the squad and also makes it more difficult for us to deal with injuries.

"You want to be able to have 15-a-side in training. The 26-man panel is a bit annoying, but we just have to get on with it."