Gaoth Dobhair in form but Naomh Conaill can turn a game on its head instantly

There’s a scene in the original Wizard of Oz where Dorothy apprehensively steps out her front door, from a black and white existence, into a technicolour world of absolute wonder. 

When it hit cinemas Stateside back in 1939, it was groundbreaking cinema and it surely must have captured the imagination of those fortunate enough, at the time, to have seen it firsthand in theatres.

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For some reason, that scene, the one where Dorothy’s house lands smack, bang on top of the Wicked Witch of the East, springs to mind when attempting to weigh up the Donegal SFC so far. 

14 representatives from teams competing across the various grades of upcoming finals were present in Convoy on Monday evening for the official press event for those respective deciders. And there’ll be much more on all of that closer to the time. 

But the general consensus, to a person, actually, was that the enjoyment levels this season have spiked as a direct result of the Football Review Committee (FRC) rule changes. 

A threshold, it seems, has been crossed and a little like Dorothy Gale from Kansas back in the day, Donegal club players are stepping out onto a new and exciting playing field that’s full of possibilities.  

Leaned against the wall, minding his own business early on in the evening, on the stairwell at the Donegal GAA Centre, was Gaoth Dobhair and Donegal star Daire Ó Baoill. 

Even under the old, rigid confines of the recent past, Ó Baoill was one of the few who actually looked to inject a little individual off-the-cuffness to matters on the ball. 

It was hardly cavalier, but going into contact, taking on an ambitious shot from outside that invisible line - the patch of field which the iPad holders had somehow worked out was ‘the scoring zone’; that type of approach wouldn’t have sat well with most coaches or managers. 

It might even have impacted on Ó Baoill’s early inter-county career as managers might have viewed that style as bordering on reckless or high-risk. 

But with the shackles off across the board, Ó Baoill is finally being able to consistently dig into his full skills set. 

And that repertoire and variety makes him a joy to watch. In fact, it’s making most players much more fun 

Even without those trademark boomers from distance - the ones that seem to always bend in at just the right moment - what he brought to the table in last weekend’s win over St Michael’s was hugely impactful on the direction and outcome of that contest. 

The stats will say he finished scoreless over the hour but, like those same iPad holders previously referenced, lies, damned lies and statistics probably best sums that all up. 

Of course, there is still plenty of room for some of that, but coaches and players are now once again accountable, individually, for what they’re bringing to the table. 

Personally, I’ve never liked the recent formats and guises that the Donegal SFC has adopted. Give me home and away first round and straight knockout after that any day of the week. 

I don’t know if it’s a direct correlation to the rule changes, but this year’s championship has really sparked and the big hitters have all appeared vulnerable.  

Termon’s dumping of St Eunan’s was a seismic result and they almost backed that up by coming within a whisker of eliminating Naomh Conaill in the last eight. 

Martin Regan’s men are back in another final but, again, they were pushed right to the wire last time out by upstarts Four Masters. 

Really, the only side that’s displayed any sort of direction, or harnessed some organisation in their approach, has been Gaoth Dobhair. 

Their takedown of MacCumhaills and Oisin Gallen in the preliminary round quarter-final was particularly impressive and the manner in which they also dismissed Kilcar and, last weekend St Michael’s in the last four, also caught the eye. 

Speaking after that semi-final win, Ronan Mac Niallais felt his side was… ‘disrespected’ is probably too strong a word but he did drop a very deliberate “we’re Gaoth Dobhair” line. 

And tailing off at the end of that same interview, when Gaoth Dobhair’s 1-16 to 1-8 2023 SFC final drubbing at the hands of Naomh Conaill is brought up, Mac Niallais’ feathers again go up. 

And that in itself was the sign of a manager who has real confidence in what’s now at his disposal.

Pressed on what, in old money, was a landslide eight-point loss, Mac Niallais had this to say. 

“Maybe that opportunity came a little too soon. We didn’t perform that day, but we will perform this time”. 

Naomh Conaill, on the other hand, boss Martin Regan nods in agreement when you say they’ve stumbled their way towards another final. 

But you write them off at your peril. Anyone else coming into the final off the back of their campaign to date, and you’d have them down as the undoubted underdog. 

But using more movie analogies, and in the month of Halloween, it’s perhaps fitting to liken Naomh Conaill to silver-screen bogeymen like Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers.  

Just when you think they’re done, dead as a doornail, they sit right back up. So the tale of the tape and all that comes with previewing what might happen, it’s a pretty futile exercise. 

Because if Gaoth Dobhair do “perform this time” like Mac Naillais insists they will, and even if Naomh Conaill again play in fits and starts, you can guarantee Glenties will still be there or thereabouts in the dying seconds. 

Gaoth Dobhair could play well, even be the better side on the day, but, a little like Termon and Four Masters, could still find themselves pipped at the post by a team that simply doesn’t know when they’re beat. 

That quality, it’s difficult to label it and even harder to summon it but Naomh Conaill have somehow made it a real habit. 

Individually, Naomh Conaill, I believe, still have the most quality and their experience has to be factored into all of that as well.  

But collectively, Gaoth Dobhair are the side that has stood out most to date and the team many are making down as favourites ahead of Sunday week. 

But it’s the IFC final that takes centre stage first, this weekend. So we’ll take a much closer look at Naomh Conaill and Gaoth Dobhair next time out. 

See Thursday’s Donegal Democrat for full preview.