Kieran Donaghy says it would make “no sense” for Dublin not to recall his old adversary Rory O’Carroll.
The three-time All-Ireland winning full-back returned to Ireland recently having left for New Zealand in the aftermath of the 2015 success and is widely expected to link up with the county panel having lined out for Kilmacud Crokes once again against Na Fianna last night.
Donaghy was O’Carroll’s direct opponent the last time he played for Dublin in the 2015 All-Ireland final win over Kerry which set them on the way to the four-in-a-row and with history beckoning this year, the former Kingdom star expects that Jim Gavin will have all hands on deck.
He said: “I would expect he’ll definitely come straight back in. If you're going for five-in-a -row, you get once chance, these Dublin boys won't get another chance at five-in-a-row.
“If I was one of the players or if I was on the management team, I'd be going, 'Yeah, we have to make sure [we're covered]'. Because you don't know what's going to happen, you don't know what injuries you're going to pick up during the summer. You don't know what fellas will fall in and out of form.
“It's not their full-back that's the issue, or it's not the high ball in that's the issue, that's the only area where they're not completely excelling.
“We all look at that as this huge area of vulnerability, because when you look around the pitch there's not much else to pick out. So that really gets highlighted. But if you want a round peg for a round hole, Rory O'Carroll, and get everyone else around him.
“He's a full-back, it's not like he has to learn how to get his touch back or his kicking or his form, he's going to be in at full-back, dogged, hopping off you, tight, a good leader, well liked within the group, a very solid guy. So yeah, it would make no sense for me not to call them in.”
Donaghy drew reference to former teammate Mike McCarthy, who returned after three years in retirement to drive Kerry to All-Ireland success in 2009.
“He was only 30 but he just wanted to retire. None of us wanted him to retire, the management didn’t want him to retire, that’s what suited his life best in 2006 at the end of it and in 2009 Mike Mac landing into a training session in May and helps win us an All-Ireland in 2009. We were all delighted to have Mike back.”
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The Dublin management is believed to have been in contact with O’Carroll and also Diarmuid Connolly, who hasn’t appeared for the county in more than a year though has been in club action again recently.
Donaghy doesn’t see a Connolly return as a fait accompli, however,
“Whatever is there is the reason he wasn't on the pitch last year and why he hasn't been on the pitch so far this year.
“But, again, if it's a small thing where somebody has to put their pride aside, if it's not a big catastrophic issue, and if it's a small thing, then that small thing has to be buried, for the greater good, for the five-in-a-row.
“This is the team you were part of from the start. You have to find a way to make that work, unless there's been something that has happened where it's just a no go.
“To be honest, if he's not being talked about being in by now, or in the next week or two, it probably won't happen.”
Sky Sports today announced its GAA fixtures for the 2019 Championship from an event in Croke Park. A total of 20 live, and 14 exclusive, fixtures of Championship action will be available on Sky’s multi-platform offering throughout the season.
Sky Sports’ exclusive coverage gets underway on Saturday May 11th when Brian Cody’s Kilkenny take on Mattie Kenny’s Dublin in the opening round of the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship in Nowlan Park.
Kerry legend and four-time All-Ireland champion Kieran Donaghy joins Sky’s blockbuster line-up of GAA legends giving viewers a truly modern view of the modern game.
Don’t miss this weekend’s GAA action – sign up to Sky Sports and get 6 months half price here , or try a NOW TV Sports Month Pass here , now just €20 a month – usually €50
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