Cruelty of Clifford’s County final fate and the fairness of football

Gaelic football is a reliable, results-dictated form of sporting chaos. Everything about this county final was a testament to that brutal reality.

Fossa's David Clifford dejected after the game.

A dejected Adrian Sheehan was Fossa’s final representative on the field last Sunday. His team and ticket had already made for Austin Stack Park’s tunnel. As Milltown/Castlemaine rejoiced all around him, he took a moment and took stock.

This peak was unprecedented. They’d never scaled such heights before. And having reached this sector of the mountain they were understandably crushed to come up short. The sort of pain that only comes with a narrow loss and makes you realise why we care about sport. It has to matter.