Niall Darby refers to Offaly’s qualifier exit at the hands of Clare last year as a dispiriting example of the county’s player drain.
After a highly disruptive year with yet another mid-season change of management, interim manager Paul Rouse had restored several of the county’s better players to the team and panel and coaxed some form out of them.
Clare edged them out in the end in a lively encounter but Offaly looked like they had a platform to build on.
Rouse was unable to commit to the job beyond last summer, however, and of the 15 that started that game, seven are no longer available, including the goalkeeper and entire full-back line.
A couple retired, some went travelling and others just couldn’t summon the interest.
“This is basically like a second job for all of us and if you don’t feel you can give the necessary time to be fully committed to it then some lads just didn’t feel they were able to do that,” says Darby, captain this year as they open their Championship campaign against Meath in Navan tomorrow.
“It is a pity because there are an awful lot of good footballers in Offaly.
“In a small county like Offaly it’s hard to be without lads like that and good quality players as well.
“It is frustrating not to have everyone there and as long as I’m there we’ve never had everyone that should be in there which is frustrating and a bit disappointing, but that’s the way it goes.”
Joe McDonagh Cup preview: Offaly host Laois while Antrim welcome Kerry
It hasn’t been all one-way traffic, however, with Darby’s Rhode clubmate Niall McNamee surprisingly deciding to come out of retirement at 33.
“I was surprised to be honest because I thought when my own father [Stephen] and his brother Alan couldn’t get him back last year when they were in the interim management, I said no one will ever get him back
“He’s in a good headspace again and he’s flying. It’s great to have him in the group in general for experience. I’d be the captain but he’d very vocal at training and at games as well which is a big help to the younger lads as well.”
Darby comes from rich footballing stock, his father Stephen and uncle Seamus All-Ireland winners, and just last Sunday a commemorative jersey from the 1982 All-Ireland success was launched. He doesn’t see any of that history as a burden, however.
“I grew up with the spirit of ‘82 with my father and uncle, just dreamed of emulating what those teams did.
“Unfortunately that hasn’t happened but it’s something I’d take great inspiration from but the weight of expectation with that wouldn’t really hinder me at all.
“I’d like to think we’d be able to challenge for Leinsters anyway in the coming years but the GAA has taken a huge turn in terms of, say, gulfs in Division One and Two in the League even. Like that’s massive.
“There’s some very good Division Two teams have gone up and gone straight back down, not that they couldn’t cut it at that level but the margins are so fine up there.
"I probably won’t be around for any of it but no, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see Offaly teams competing for Leinsters in the coming years.”
Prediction
Whatever the perceived gap between these counties was when the draw was made last October, it has yawned in the meantime with Offaly flirting with relegation to Division Four while Meath ascended to Division One.
Does that make it a foregone conclusion? No, as Offaly have quality players that can hurt Meath, though they probably just haven’t got enough of them given the defections they have suffered, with their bench particularly weak.
If Meath get on a roll early on it could be a long afternoon for Offaly. If not, Andy McEntee’s side should have them burned off before the finish in any event.
VERDICT: Meath
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