THE IMPORTANCE AND THE meaning of Saturday’s Ulster SFC semi-final to Donegal was outlined at a press conference on Monday.
At the Sean Mac Cumhaills GAA Centre in Ballybofey, overlooking the sward upon which Donegal defeated Fermanagh just two weeks ago, Rory Gallagher chose his captain to flank him.
At the preceding event, prior to the Armagh fixture, he went for the youth of Ryan McHugh and Hugh McFadden, along with the quiet man, Frank McGlynn.
This time Michael Murphy was selected to face the media and the Glenswilly man engaged without giving much, if anything, away.
The general theme of his answers, though, were that Donegal were ready for Monaghan.
[adrotate group=”43″]Even if the public perception is entirely the opposite, there was enough about Murphy’s demeanour to provide some hope.
A young Murphy fell twice in the Championship to Monaghan, losing to the Farney in qualifiers back in 2007 and 2008, defeats that ended the reign of Brian McIver each time.
Murphy has faced Monaghan five times in the Championship, but has only won once – the 2014 Ulster final.
“We’re just looking forward to getting out and pitting our wits against them again and getting stuck into it,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to getting out against Monaghan again, I suppose we’ve had a huge rivalry over the last number of years.
“They are a full package and we like to think that we possess a number of threats that we can try to negate them as best we can, and also try to press forward our own plan on things.
“It’s a challenge I think as a squad and a group we think we’re ready for, and we have to show that on Saturday.”
McIver was pointed in Murphy’s direction by then Glenswilly manager Francie Martin in 2006. “The first I saw him I thought he’d be an absolute star,” McIver said of his first glimpse of the man who captained Donegal to Sam Maguire in 2012.
[adrotate group=”46″]Murphy is only 26, but played his 100th game for Donegal in the Dr McKenna Cup this year.
When he made his Championship debut in 2007 against Leitrim in Carrick-on-Shannon, team-mates included Neil McGee, Karl Lacey, Frank McGlynn, Neil Gallagher, Rory Kavanagh, Christy Toye and Eamon McGee. Martin McElhinney made his debut in that same game.
The other men, plus Colm McFadden – who was on a year’s sabattical from the squad in ’07 – remain central figures and, despite lingering questions about the mileage left in those tanks, Murphy insists that Donegal aren’t ‘past it’.
“It’s just on the head of the paper, we have a few senior players over 30,” he said.
“Once you go past 26 you’re nearly classed as old. That’s just the way the analysis of the game has gone.
[adrotate group=”74″]“If it wasn’t that it would be that we were inexperienced. If it wasn’t that it would be that we were in bad form. There’s always something thrown at every team, but that’s just the way it has gone.
“As a whole team, we have to prove ourselves. It’s something that Rory says to us quite a bit.
“Every single day we go out we have to prove ourselves as individuals and as a team.
“Whether that’s because the team is seen as ageing, inexperienced or in bad form, you take that on the chin and just push yourself forward.
[adrotate group=”53″]“As a team, we did against Fermanagh, but not on all levels. That’s the challenge every day you go out.
“It’s looked at it in fine scrutiny, but if you really look at it, we have a lot of young players in who have brought the age profile down a good bit.”
It was worth noting that the average age of the Donegal team named to face Fermanagh was just 26 and Murphy has hailed the significant inroads being made by the newcomers to the panel.
The Glenswilly man went as far as to suggest that Donegal perhaps have a stronger panel this time.
He said: “Competition is huge. You say that every year, but I do believe this year that it’s really strong.
“You see things gradually materialising. Look at the number of players who featured in the League and who are now in contention and contributing handsomely. Eoin McHugh has been a revelation; Odhrán (Mac Niallais) and Ryan (McHugh) have come in over the last couple of years and are huge additions; a number of the other Under-21s are coming through; and Mark Anthony (McGinley) has been huge too.
[adrotate group=”70″]“All we’re interested in is getting results for Donegal.
“That is all we’re interested in is getting performances and results. Good performances yield results. All we want to do is get Donegal into an Ulster final and compete from then on if we can.
“We’re in that bubble, that circle of Championship football. Whether people perceive us as negative or old, that will happen. I know it doesn’t effect us at all. What people think on the outside doesn’t effect us. All it is then is a bit of slagging with the younger lads about the age.”
Murphy has been described by Rory Gallagher as the ‘perfect captain’. Anthony Molloy, the only other Donegal man to lift Sam Maguire, has made similar comments.
Martin McHugh, regarded by many as Donegal’s greatest footballer, said after the 2012 All-Ireland final win over Mayo that there had been ‘no better man to lead the team up those steps’ and spoke of Murphy’s leadership of the squad in that year of years.
There had been a lot of rumours of Murphy’s own demise before the Fermanagh game with whispers that he was to sit that game out because of an ankle injury.
[adrotate group=”43″]“I had a good body of training done all year, and it was a huge help to have played so many of the league games, and also to get back training fairly early in the year, so I was happy with the condition I was in,” he said.
“But when you miss any training, you fall behind a wee bit, so this next week or so will bring everybody on.
“You’re not going to gain any huge strides in a few weeks, but the games is where you want to be at and showing yourself.
“That’s up to ourselves individually and a team collectively on Saturday to try and push Donegal over the line.”
It was easy to see why Gallagher called his lieutenant for this one.
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