Neil McGee: pushing bodies on was key to Dublin upset

It was while driving to an International Rules training camp that the text came through and Michael Murphy didn't hesitate. He turned the car around and headed for the Hills, with Neil McGee in the passenger seat. "Around Monaghan there," McGee said when asked where they had been when they decided to turn around. Murphy felt certain that the squad needed to meet and it couldn't wait.

“Somebody texted him through that we needed to get this sorted and that Jim was hesitating about whether to stay or go. Michael turned the car around on the road and we went back up to get it sorted. It was probably the best decision we ever made.”

As it turned out, they didn't even miss training as they had left a day early. It is a small but remarkable story in the on-going evolution of the Donegal football team. The McGee brothers have been indomitable in the full-back line all season, with Eamonn engaging in an elemental struggle with Eoghan O'Gara on Sunday while Neil, the younger of the pair, spent his afternoon shadowing Bernard Brogan, doing just enough to spoil Dublin's first goal chance during that early period when the All-Ireland champions looked imperious and vengeful.

Directly discussed

By early evening, the full back appeared tired and content though not particularly surprised to be discussing another All-Ireland final. The 7/1 odds available on Donegal to beat

Dublin

was never directly discussed within the camp but McGee was aware of them and admitted that he was a little surprised that Donegal were regarded as such cold outsiders.

“It was an All-Ireland semi-final, Ulster champions and Leinster champions – they were kind of big odds,” he shrugged.

“But in fairness the way the Dubs were going it was understandable the way the odds were. The bookies had probably been cleaned out with them all year. We didn’t look at that. We concentrated on our own game. We went down by five points in the first half and just kept at it, just kept plugging away.

“We watched a lot of videos of Dublin these last few weeks. We went away to a training camp for four, five days and Jim more or less broke down their game plan and we exploited it. We knew we would get the openings and it was a matter of pushing the bodies forward and supporting. The last time we played Dublin (2011), we didn’t get the bodies forward but we knew if we pushed six or seven bodies forward we would get the openings with the runners and it worked well.”

The last line was typical Gweedore understatement. What unfolded was a majestic display. But the remarkable thing was just how quickly and genuinely both the Donegal management and players seemed to move their attention to the prospect of playing Kerry in an All-Ireland final.

“They have a tricky boy in there . . .” he said when asked about potential assignments for that game. “I’m sure it’s going to be James O’Donoghue. He’s racking up big scores so I have to do a lot of homework on him now. It’s about restricting him more than anything so I need to up my game.”

In the build-up to the 2012 final, Jim McGuinness said that his squad had the best three weeks of their lives ahead of them in that they were getting to train for a September championship match. Now they are back in that place.

“They were enjoyable,” McGee says. “But I remember the morning of the All-Ireland and he had us in the perfect frame of mind. Whatever Jim does, it goes unannounced when he’s doing it. We were just totally confident the morning of the game. We slept well, there were no nerves at all. It was just a normal game. Whatever way he does it, he’ll have us right mentally. Like today, we were away for five days last week and we got a serious amount of work done.”

One of the lazier stereotypes about the Donegal defensive game – generally labelled ‘the system’ – is that it somehow does the work on its own. But McGee had plenty of moments in the spotlight with Brogan on Sunday and took his turn roaming forward like the other Donegal back six.

‘Enjoying the battles’

“I’m really enjoying the battles. Every day you’re coming up against their best full-forward. A lot of people say you don’t get the one-on-one but every day it’s one-on-one the way we’re playing this year. Thankfully, we’re holding our own. We’re really enjoying it.”

Even when Donegal wrested control of the semi-final, he was impressed by Dublin’s resolve in coming forward.

“They were still getting their scores. Paul Flynn and (Diarmuid) Connolly scored three or four each. That’s impressive shooting. They got long-range scores and it’s hard to shut down those long range scores. They are two of the best players in the country. It’s understandable: it’s all about restricting them.”

Kerry versus Donegal, the Western Seaboard final, was a match-up few saw coming last September. McGee recalled the miserable conclusion to Donegal’s All-Ireland defence last August and how far they have moved on from that low point. “We broke down how many training sessions we did and we didn’t do half of what we have done this year. You can see it there: a freshness. You add in players like Ryan McHugh, Odhran MacNiallais, Darach O’Connor and these boys are really pushing it on. Big Neil (Gallagher) has an injury-free run and he’s going well.”

In short, it was worth the U-turn around Kavanagh country.