No place for Sherlock as Gilroy focuses on youth

FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP:JASON SHERLOCK looks to have played his last game for Dublin as manager Pat Gilroy prepares to announce a shake-up to his championship panel ahead of the Leinster quarter-final against Wexford on June 13th.

Sherlock (34), who didn’t feature in any games during the National Football League, is now surplus to requirements. And other seasoned players, such as Kevin Bonner, Darren Magee, Bryan Cullen and Kevin Nolan, are potentially facing the chop.

Having made his debut in 1995 at age 19, and thus the last link with Dublin’s All-Ireland winning team of that year, Sherlock’s service to his county has already surpassed that of most of his contemporaries.

Ironically his exclusion from the Dublin panel comes as Tyrone manager Mickey Harte confirmed that his veteran 34-year-old captain Brian Dooher, who also made his debut in 1995, will start in Sunday’s opening defence of their Ulster title against Antrim in Casement Park.

The Dublin team trained last night for the first time in a couple of weeks, having broke off for the first round of the county championship, and although Gilroy hasn’t yet released the exact make-up of his championship panel until he checked last night on the fitness of certain players, Sherlock is not expected to feature at all this summer.

Gilroy had intended to name his panel yesterday, before putting it off until later in the week.

Sherlock did play for St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh last week, but with Gilroy putting an even greater emphasis on youth in this his second year as manager, his exclusion is hardly surprising.

In fact, Gilroy plans to name a development panel to go along with his championship panel, and there will inevitably be some crossover during the summer.

Speaking in Croke Park yesterday, at the launch of the VHI/GAA Cul Camps, Sherlock’s clubmate Bernard Brogan spoke generally about Gilroy’s selection policy, where youth and form is being given precedence over experience.

“He (Pat) has no qualms about leaving out even the experienced lads,” said Brogan. “Conal Keaney and Alan (Brogan) didn’t play that much over the league. If lads are playing well he’ll play them, and that stands as well for any of the young lads, when a manager plays you on form, not experience. That’s the mentality Pat started with this year, and I’m sure he’ll continue that.

“No one can be rest assured about their place. I think it’s going to add a lot of competition to the training, and the panel, that places are up for grabs. Hopefully that will stand to us as a team.”

Brogan didn’t start for Dublin in the first three rounds of the league, yet still ended up their top scorer: “It gives you that competitive edge, to get back in there,” he added. “I think Pat has a good way about doing things like that. I know it got my competitive edge going. Once I got in, I wanted to stay in.”

Dooher’s inclusion in the Tyrone team is rare evidence these days of players surviving on intercounty teams well into their 30s. Dooher, in fact, turns 35 in August.

Tyrone also welcome back Stephen O’Neill for Sunday’s game, along with the McMahon brothers, Justin and Joe, and while Kyle Cooney (back) and Tommy McGuigan (hamstring) should also be fit, Conor Gormley (knee) is likely to miss out.