Aidan O’Shea. What a player. What a presence. What… do you do with him?
For most of this summer’s championship, O’Shea was playing in the No.12 jersey and having his way with defences.
The Breaffy man was a sub at the start of Mayo’s All-Ireland quest but, much like his county, grew as summer became autumn and impressed a whole host of pundits and fans. Just as we were all starting to get used to O’Shea as the force of nature around the middle and a man to shuffle up the park later in games, everything changed.
O’Shea was tasked with playing in the full back line to mark Kerry forward Kieran Donaghy closely. The judgement call went askew in the first game but O’Shea was on top in the replay and Donaghy was nowhere to be seen for large tracts until his late sending off.
Now, with Dublin standing in Mayo’s way in the All-Ireland final, Stephen Rochford has to decide on where to play O’Shea. Former Dublin star Alan Brogan believes Rochford has a mighty decision ahead of him and it is one that the entire county will be discussing all the way until the team is announced on Friday, September 15.
Speaking to us from a SuperValu volunteer camp in Skerries, Brogan commented:
“Aidan O’Shea playing at full back has freed up a bit of space for the Mayo forwards.
“Mayo have looked a bit more fluid and dangerous without O’Shea being there.”
Brogan has also admitted he was wrong about Andy Moran, whom he called on to be used as an impact sub earlier in the summer. He said:
“Andy Moran is the obvious one when you’re talking about Mayo’s best forward this summer. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time.
“Earlier this year I was saying he should not be starting and he should be coming on as a sub. My argument was that if he can only go for 40 or 50 minutes, would it not be better for him to come in and make an impact. He has kicked on since then, in fairness, and I back him to step up again… from the start.
“Jason Doherty has really stood up in the last couple of games too. Those two lads have done really well.”
Some big calls ahead and most of them will be debated all the way up until throw-in on September 17.
Alan Brogan was training parents and kids at SuperValu’s #BehindTheBall Volunteer Camp at Skerries Harps in North County Dublin. SuperValu’s volunteer camps are taking place nationwide and are designed to encourage more parents to lend their support and get involved in their local clubs throughout the country.
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