Mac's View: Here's who I would pick for Donegal against Kerry on Sunday

The Allianz NFL gets underway on Sunday and we have All-Ireland champions, Kerry, in the opening game in MacCumhaill Park. It will be a good opportunity for us and probably never a better time to play them.

I’m hearing that they could be short two thirds of the team that won the All-Ireland for various reasons. Big David Moran in the middle of the field has retired and the Cliffords are taking a break after winning the All-Ireland junior club championship.

Kerry haven’t had much match time this year. They came back from their team holiday and got a hammering from Cork in the McGrath Cup. You wouldn’t expect them to be up to speed, but they will have plenty of young, hungry players coming to Donegal who will be vying for a permanent position on the team.

But you have to say, it is a good time to play them. We will be able to field 12 or 13 well established players. I don’t know the position regarding injuries or players unavailable, but we have a good panel.

The game might also give the opportunity for some of the newcomers. And we have a good enough record against Kerry at home when you look back over the years. Even the big Kerry teams, we could manage them well enough at home.
We have three home games and we need to take points from those games. I’d say you will need six points, possibly five will be enough to survive.

If you could sneak a point away to Monaghan and Roscommon, that would be of some help, but Sunday will be a great opportunity to start with two points.

If I were in the manager’s position, I’d base the team very much on the lines of last year’s team. If Shaun Patton is fit he will probably start but I would have no trouble starting the St Naul’s ‘keeper, Gavin Mulreany, who is very competent.

You have last year’s full-back line still there, Stephen McMenamin, Brendan McCole and Caolan Ward. For the half-back line you have plenty of options with Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Dáire Ó Baoill, Ryan McHugh, Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí and Ryan McHugh. I don’t know the situation regarding Peadar Mogan, who is in Liverpool, but if they can, he must be taken home.

You also have good back-up with young fellas like Jamie Grant, Caolan McColgan and Kealan Dunleavy. Midfield is always important and you can have any two from Caolan McGonagle, Hugh McFadden, Jason McGee.

And even though Michael Murphy is gone, you still have a good number of last year’s forward line like Conor O’Donnell, and even McGonagle, for the half-forward line and Jamie Brennan and Patrick McBrearty inside. I’m not sure what the situation is with Michael Langan and Ciaran Thompson, but I’m hearing that they might not be ready for action this weekend.

I would play MacCumhaill’s Joel Bradley Walsh or Johnny McGroddy in the corner as we will need a right footed free-taker. And if needed, Ryan McHugh can play as a half-back or half-forward. We should be able to field a very experienced team.

It is good to start at home and I would urge people to come out and support the team. It will be a big day for the new management but they should be well up for it at this stage. They have a couple of months under their belts now. I want to wish them and the players the best of luck. The forecast for the weekend seems reasonable. We have to go to Omagh the following week and after watching them against Derry in the Dr McKenna Cup final, you wouldn’t be afraid of that trip.

CLUB FINAL
I watched the Glen-Kilmacud Crokes All-Ireland club final on Sunday and I see that Glen have lodged an objection to Kilmacud having 16 men on the field at the end.

It definitely begs a replay. Croke Park, as usual, stood back from it. It reminded me of 2010 when Louth were beaten by Meath by a goal that was illegal. Joe Sheridan jumped over the line with the ball. Meath were amenable to a replay but their county board put a stop to that.

It was a pity the ending to Sunday’s game as it was a cracking contest. Indeed, there were two good games and I felt sorry for Dunloy in the hurling final. The final scoreline didn’t reflect the effort they put in. But I really enjoyed the football final. Glen went two up and then missed a goal. The player could have boxed it over the bar for a three point lead, but then that happens in many games.

Good luck to Enda McFeely as he makes his bow in the league on Sunday, taking charge of the Division 4 game between Leitrim and Waterford in Carrick-on-Shannon.

Good luck also to Maxi Curran and the Donegal Ladies as they take on Meath in Letterkenny on Saturday. They went down to Galway last Saturday but were fielding a very young team. It will not be easy against Meath, who are, like Kerry, All-Ireland champions. On the home front I see that most of the clubs around us here in Bundoran are all still managerless. Managers are not jumping out of the sky at the minute.