Donaghy may play some role

GAELIC GAMES CHAMPIONSHIP 2009 NEWS:GIVEN THEIR poor performances in recent weeks, some people think it would take a small miracle for Kerry to overturn Dublin in Monday's All-Ireland football quarter-final, but in the meantime Kerry are thinking about a small miracle of their own, the potential return of Kieran Donaghy.

It’s just two and a half weeks now since Donaghy sustained a repeat fracture of a bone in his left foot, which at the time looked set to rule him out of action for up to eight weeks. However, Donaghy attended Kerry’s fourth-round qualifier against Antrim in Tullamore last Sunday, and, crucially, was walking about afterwards without the use of crutches – suggesting a speedier recovery than originally anticipated.

While no one expects him to start in Croke Park next Monday, there is now the possibility that Donaghy may play some part, late on, if his services are deemed necessary. And while Kerry selector Ger O’Keeffe certainly wasn’t predicting that, he didn’t entirely rule out some appearance by the big full forward.

“He’s due to see the consultant again this week,” said O’Keeffe, “but I’d say it would be very doubtful. I think in many ways it would be up to the individual himself, the amount of pain he would be able to put up with, and how long he would last, but it certainly doesn’t look likely at this stage.”

Donaghy sustained the repeat fracture in an awkward fall early in the second half of the second-round qualifier against Longford, in July 11th. He left that game on crutches, and later visited the Ray Moran surgery in Dublin for a minor corrective operation, with an expected recovery period of up to eight weeks.

It was the same metatarsal bone Donaghy damaged in the National League final win over Derry on April 26th, and which kept him out of action for the entire period before the Longford game. He will have had just over three weeks’ recovery by the time Kerry take to the field on Monday, but depending on the circumstances, it may be the Kerry management will be prepared to risk him.

Donaghy remains the only big-name injury and according to O’Keeffe Kerry came out of the Antrim game relatively unscathed: “We have a few other small knocks here and there but nothing too serious.”

There was speculation yesterday defender Marc Ó Sé may be facing further disciplinary action following an incident with Antrim’s Terry O’Neill early in the second half last Sunday, for which both players were yellow-carded. The GAA’s Central Competitions Control Committee are understood to have reviewed the incident on video on Monday, but as of yesterday evening, Kerry hadn’t been told of any further action.

Kerry won’t name a team until after training tomorrow, and, O’Keeffe, like the rest of the teams involved in this weekend’s quarter-finals, was also concerned about what state the Croke Park pitch would be in this weekend, following the recent U2 concerts, but was happy it was designated as a stand-alone fixture: “I suppose Dublin against Kerry is still the big glamour tie. The tradition is there, and it really sets the public anticipation in train, that it will be another ding-dong battle. And hopefully there will be a bit of a kick in the old dog yet.”

Dublin, who spent a couple of days last week at the Carton House training venue in Maynooth, will announce their starting line-up tomorrow morning at DCU.

Miles on the clock

KERRY’S leading dozen championship performers of recent years now have a combined appearance total of 569 games between them, headed by the 78 championship starts of midfielder Darragh Ó Sé. Younger brother Tomás Ó Sé has 66 appearances.

78- Darragh Ó Sé
66- Tomás Ó Sé
62- Tom O'Sullivan
51- Colm Cooper
50- Marc Ó Sé
49- Mike McCarthy
39- Declan O'Sullivan
38- Diarmuid Murphy
37- Aidan O'Mahony
34- Seán O'Sullivan
33- Paul Galvin
32- Tommy Griffin