Boylan announces first draft of Rules panel
Wednesday, October 11
The manager of the Coca Cola Ireland International Rules team Mr Sean Boylan has announced the players still in contention to be part of the Ireland panel for the forthcoming Test Series against Australia in Pearse Stadium on October 28th and Croke Park on November 5th. On Friday, the Ireland panel will travel to France for a training weekend and Mr Boylan explained that the final panel of twenty seven players will be announced following this at a Press Briefing in Croke Park on Wednesday October 18th.
The players involved are: Aidan O Mahoney, Marc Ó Sé, Paul Galvin, Kieran Donaghy, Brendan Guiney (Kerry), Tadhg Kennelly (Sydney Swans & Kerry), Kevin Reilly, Anthony Moyles, Graham Geraghty, Joe Sheridan, Charles Mc Carthy (Meath), Alan Quirke, Ger Spillane, Nicholas Murphy, Donncha O Connor (Cork), Kieran Mc Geeney, Ronan Clarke, Stephen Mc Donnell (Armagh), Darren Rooney, Tom Kelly (Laois), Colm Begley (Brisbane Lions & Laois), Sean Martin Lockhart, Paddy Bradley (Derry), Shane Ryan, Alan Brogan (Dublin), Kieran Fitzgerald, Joe Bergin (Galway), Sean Cavanagh, Stephen O Neill (Tyrone), Brendan Coulter, Michael Walsh (Down), Alan Dillon, Ger Brady (Mayo), Paul Barden (Longford), Dermot Early (Kildare), Johnny Mc Carthy (Limerick), Karl Lacey (Donegal), Karl Slattery (Offaly) and Dessie Dolan (Westmeath).
Mr Boylan said that the ongoing involvement of a number of players with their clubs in county championships and in the Interprovincial Championship had delayed the naming of a finalised panel. He said "We are currently monitoring the progress of a number of players. Some of the lads have not been able to attend as many of the training sessions as we would have liked because of club commitments in particular. There are also the usual worries with injuries and fitness, but after this weekend, we will have a clear indication of where we stand." He said he was delighted with the enthusiasm shown by all of the players involved but acknowledged that there would be difficult decisions to be made in terms of the final panel. He also said that he hoped to make contact with Setanta O hAlpin (Carlton & Cork) in the coming days with a view to his inclusion in the panel.
Commenting on the announcement, Public Affairs and Communications Manager for Coca-Cola Bottlers Ireland, Mo Durkan said: "I know that competition remains high for a place on this year's Coca-Cola International Rules panel, and that all of the players involved have been extremely focussed and committed at the training sessions over the last few weekends. With the best of the country's footballers all still in contention for a place, Sean and his management team have the unenviable task ahead of trimming down the squad and selecting the players they feel will be best equipped to take on the Australians in the two-test Coca-Cola International Rules Series later this month".
All in all, not great, a lot of boys from squads who didnt really catch the eye this year, either the teams themselves or the players, though Kerry and Cork did themselves justice, Dublin were maybe the fittest and strongest team this year and ended up with two reps on it, 2 very good reps but only two is a joke.
_________________ 'Cause I'm J.U.D.D
I'm dynamite
J.U.D.D
And I'll win that fight
J.U.D.D
I'm a power load
J.U.D.D, Watch me explode
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