Kobe McDonald departure has 'nearly put Mayo in a bit of mourning for next seven or eight months'
MAYO MOURNING: Mayo's Kobe McDonald celebrates after scoring his side's second goal against Monaghan. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher.
Minding a three-year-old and a 20-month year-old, Keith Higgins was on daddy day care when he heard the news Sunday. Oh boy.
He had been on duty as Mayo’s U20 manager at a challenge game the day before and the seniors’s game against Monaghan in Clones was taking a backseat to family life when a brief message on his phone stopped him in his tracks.
“I was like, ‘Oh no, what's after happening here? I had to go on Twitter straight away and I just seen 1-1. I was like, right. I know what's going on now. I did have a bit of a giggle alright, I was like, ‘of course he had to announce himself in a special way.’”
Kobe McDonald would score another three points before he was finished in a whirlwind first senior appearance for Mayo coming off the bench.
"You can always go down the route and say it could be an awful thing and it could build up the hype even more," says Higgins. "But, sure, what harm. If the guy's good, he's good."
At the same time, Higgins fully appreciates why Andy Moran has tried to quell the hype around the Crossmolina teen.
“You just have to realise the lad literally turned 18 in December. He’s really, really young. He was playing in schools, basketball and football up until December and January. He played the Connacht ‘C’ final there, which was two weeks ago.
“At that age, you have to let the lads go and play a bit of school football as well and let them enjoy themselves. Andy probably had that in his head and kind of went and integrated him into the seniors.”
Having senior and U20 managers like Moran and Higgins, that shouldn’t be an issue. Even if it is only for a season before he heads to Australia, he will be allowed to express himself.
“Just let him go and let him off and let the shackles off and see what happens.”
When The Stone Roses broke up for a second time in 2017, lead singer Ian Brown said; “Don’t be sad it’s over; be happy that it happened.”
But trying telling that to Mayo supporters as McDonald’s move to St Kilda grows closer with each passing day.
Why his departure was announced so far in advance Higgins doesn’t know but it does give the county time to grieve his looming exit.
“It's probably nearly put Mayo in a bit of mourning now for the next seven or eight months, seeing bits and pieces of him, knowing he's not going to be around. So, it was a strange one, but I suppose that's probably the way the AFL announced their things.”
Pearse Hanley left for Brisbane and never came back and Oisín Mullen is flying it with Geelong at the moment. Higgins wants Mayo to appreciate McDonald in the time they have available.
“Just try and make the most of it while we have him and enjoy him while we have him, whether that's with the seniors or the 20s.”
Higgins is more exercised by the demands being placed on young inter-county players. “I just see players not getting a rest for 12 months of the year.
“I'll use Darragh Beirne, for example. He was in with the 20s there two years ago. He was playing school football, in with the 20s, finished up with them, went back playing senior and minor with his club, U21 with his club, school, 20s.
"Back into the same routine with the club again for the following summer. Then finished up and now he's going to college.
“That man has been on the go constantly for two years. Where is there even six weeks in the calendar for him to take a break and get away from football or go travelling? I just see it breaking down at some stage.
“Maybe it'll be in two or three years's time that there'll be a study done and you'll see the level of injuries. I think every county probably has a lot of injuries at the moment.”
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