Latest news with #EamonMcGee
Irish Independent
7 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Joe Brolly: It's very hard to live with the pace of Jimmy McGuinness' new model Donegal
Eamon McGee, an All-Ireland winner in 2012, was talking on a podcast last week. It was powerful. 'We were able to play in a zone where very few people can go, where you are physically exhausted but you keep going. Most footballers back off from that place. They say, 'Naw, naw, that's me done'. We were consistently in that zone and that's better than any medal.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
All-Ireland winner believes GAA must find 'proper punishments' as deterrent after Ulster final brawl
The Ulster football final was hailed as one of the greatest games in recent years as Donegal pipped Armagh after extra-time in the baking heat of Clones. The post-game celebrations were marred somewhat by an unseemly melee involving players from both teams and the GAA are investigating the ugly scenes. Former Donegal great Eamon McGee believes the GAA need to get tough with their disciplinary processes if they want to eradicate these types of scenes from the game. READ MORE: Kerry star David Clifford claims seven teams are capaable of winning the Sam Maguire in 2025 READ MORE: Primark's 'stunning' £16 outfit 'looks so elegant and expensive' - shoppers love it McGee, whose brother Neil is part of the Donegal management team, told the Irish Daily Star: "It was one of those days where you just stand back and admire both sets of players, just leaving it all out there. "So much to love about that game and what are we spending the majority of our time talking about? A GAA row. "On the incident itself, I can sit back and call it objectively now. It looks terrible from the Donegal player to shout over and celebrate like that but for some reason that level of goading is acceptable. "Armagh players did the same at normal time as it looked like Donegal had thrown the game away. "You can rest assured Jim (McGuinness) will be annoyed at his player. I've seen that first hand and he wouldn't endorse it. "In spite of all that, somehow we are in a place where it's just accepted as part and parcel of the gamel that a player can walk up and box someone in the face and then you have three or four lads jump in. "There's a picture doing the rounds where a Guard is on the ground trying to sort things out. Lots of lads' reaction to this is, 'So what, he deserved a slap?' "Maybe he did deserve a slap. In the real world, I have a list of boys in my head that deserve a slap but it doesn't mean I can act on it? How can anyone sit there and justify the scenes we saw after the game? "I suppose it's a bit rich this, coming from me who was dirty in the extreme. I have done more than enough dirty acts in my day - verbally and physically - but nobody is better placed than me to understand that part of the game. "We probably won't see a row like that again for the year but one row at that level is too many. "Create proper punishments, deal them out and we won't see rows like last Saturday night - or waste our time talking about them." Eamon McGee's column can be read in full on this weekend. Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox
Irish Examiner
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Eamon McGee: ‘I think Armagh are going in as big favourites'
Donegal All-Ireland winner Eamon McGee believes All-Ireland champions Armagh are the form team heading into Saturday's blockbuster Ulster final. In a repeat of the 2024 encounter, Donegal and Armagh meet at St Tiernach's Park, Clones this weekend. It is anticipated to be a close contest but McGee is concerned at the recent performances by the holders. 'Am I confident in Donegal? I have watched them in all three championship games,' he said, speaking on the Irish Examiner's Gaelic football podcast, released weekly for Examiner subscribers. 'I was more confident before the Ulster championship. The more I watched them, if you ask me genuinely are Donegal going to win an All-Ireland based on what I have seen in the championship? At times, Monaghan really road-tested them. 'They didn't get a challenge against Derry. At times against Down, they had them well sussed. But I can't say now Donegal will win an All-Ireland based on what I have seen. They are going up against a really well drilled team. I think Armagh have learned an awful lot. I have belief. But I think Armagh are going in as big favourites.' Donegal won a dramatic decider on penalties last year. There are two areas that McGee hopes Jim McGuinness will develop as the season progresses. The winner of Saturday's fixture will advance to Group 1 with Tyrone, Mayo and Cavan. The loser joins Galway, Dublin and Derry in Group 4. 'It is not personnel, they tick a lot of boxes,' said McGee. 'There is nobody athletically better than Donegal at the minute and the way they are able to transition. I still think they need to kick more. We are too possession-based. This high intensity trying to break lines all the time, it is a big ask of Mogan or O'Donnell. I think we need to kick more. 'That low block, I think that has to be a wee bit more dynamic now. Armagh have the kickers as well. But against a Galway or Kerry, they could expose that in a 11v11. The low block and I'd rather they kick more, but they are not massive changes. They can be remedied. Hopefully we see something come the All-Ireland series. I don't think it will change for the Ulster final but we might see it in the All-Ireland series.'
