Three Tyrone players have now retired from last season.
Trillick midfielder Richie Donnelly has made the decision to opt out of the Tyrone squad, and this decision is borderline disastrous for the county.
Some people reading this will be scratching their heads at such a claim considering that Donnelly did not start a single game for Tyrone last year, made only seven appearances as a substitute, and did not see any game time in their quarter final defeat to Kerry.
However, a lot of that was down to injuries, bad luck, and in my opinion, wrong decisions by the management team of Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan.
Tyrone did not enjoy a fruitful 2023, with only glimpses of joy sprinkled throughout the year, like their league victory over Kerry or their win against Donegal in the championship, but otherwise it was a disappointing campaign.
With a midfield pairing of Brian Kennedy and Conn Kilpatrick, it was always going to be heard to break into that position, but one of Donnelly’s greatest attributes was his versatility.
All season long, the Red Hand county lacked scores from those playing outside of the full forward line, with a huge over-dependence placed on Darren McCurry and Darragh Canavan to rack up the points, and the half forward line in particular didn’t contribute enough to help win games.
The Trillick star has a lethal boot on him, and is well capable of chipping in with scores, particularly from long range, as was evident from his hugely impressive club season this year.
How he wasn’t deployed as a centre half forward or in the wing half position, with license to roam into midfield, is a strange one, considering he ticked a lot of the boxes on the list of things that Tyrone badly needed.
His performances in the club championship this year were monumental, with former All-Stars like Donegal’s Eamonn McGee describing him as the ‘the best player in Ulster’ on current form.
Really enjoyed my chat with Derry captain @Conor_Glass ahead of Glen's All-Ireland final this Sunday.
– Returning from Australia to win things
– Playing without a pre-season for two years
– Getting Glen boys to play for DerryTune in 🎧 https://t.co/JeZwpNkhbT 🎧 pic.twitter.com/GfTXxEgKcn
— Lee Costello (@sitelee) January 17, 2024
The diverse ball winner has represented his county 71 times – 29 in the championship – but never really seemed to get a fair shake at it, while others were given the luxury of time and perseverance.
Couple his retirement with the fact that fellow All-Ireland winners Ronan McNamee and Niall Sludden have also hung up their boots on the inter-county stage, then you’re looking at a Tyrone team that has lost a huge amount of experience, and professionalism, seemingly overnight.
Any GAA fan will tell you that after enduring a disappointing county season, they all become self-proclaimed scouts when watching the club campaign, trying to unearth new talent that can give them hope and excitement for the following year.
Well, every fan in this position would have been watching the heroic performances of Donnelly as he spearheaded his club to championship glory, and would have waved the flag to give him the opportunity he deserves in the white and red of Tyrone.
So with just one week before the National League begins, the news that he has decided to opt out of the panel, is a massive blow for fans and indeed for the senior squad.
We've got an absolutely stellar GAA Hour this week. 🎙️@NiallMcintyre catches up with St Thomas' Fintan Burke ahead of the hurling final. @sitelee chats with Derry captain Conor Glass ahead of the @AIB_GAA All-Ireland football final.
Listen ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/ImBz9CSPxq
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) January 17, 2024
Throw in the fact that his brother and talismanic player Mattie Donnelly, is ruled out for a large chunk of the year after suffering a very serious injury, then you can’t help but feel that the team are chasing themselves before a ball is even kicked.
One can’t put any blame on the younger brother for deciding to call it a day however. Richie was Tyrone through and through, gave everything for the jersey, and was the ultimate professional during his time with the team.
When you consider the level of commitment he has given, despite the lack of opportunities as a starter, then it highlights even more just how much he was willing to put himself through the mill for the benefit of his county.
Luckily for Tyrone there is always fresh talent coming through the ranks, and the management will be hoping to see the fruits of the All-Ireland winning u20 team from two years ago, but for 2024 at least, these retirements could be disastrous.
Related links:
- Conor Glass on the Glen boys he would “love to have playing for Derry”
- The three players Mickey Harte should immediately call up for Derry
- The inevitable has begun as players opt out of Dessie Farrell’s Dublin team
