Hoop star Donaghy puts all his eggs in league basket

IT WAS hard to miss the picture of Kieran Donaghy embracing team-mate Micheál Quirke after last Sunday's victory for Tralee Tigers in basketball's Superleague final. The emotion in their eyes made it clear how important was this win to the two Kerry footballers and how dearly they hold their experiences on the basketball court.

It is often forgotten basketball was Donaghy's first love and earned him his nickname, "The Star", and yesterday he recounted not just the importance of that win but also how perfectly timed it was ahead of next Saturday's return to the football field.

"Basketball has always been great to me," he said. "I've said before that it's helped me hugely as regards my football - and I'd never be able to overlook that - especially the way I play football since I've gone to full forward. It's still very enjoyable to play both games, but a struggle at times as well trying to juggle the two.

"It's a struggle only because I hate letting people down . . . I hate to disappoint people, like having to tell the basketball guys I just can't play. Or vice versa.

"Thankfully it all worked out great this weekend, in that everybody won. Kerry won. My club Austin Stacks won. The basketball club won. And Chelsea won. So it was a good weekend all round.

"That's it now in that the basketball season is finished, over. I saw last weekend referred to as our own March madness, like the college basketball in America, and it was certainly March madness up there."

Donaghy was in fact suspended for Kerry's league match against Laois last Saturday, following his inappropriate gesture to Mayo fans, but he was back training this week ahead of the meeting with Kildare in Tralee.

A win there would practically guarantee Kerry a place in the Division One final, and also most likely leave the last-round match against Galway as a dress rehearsal for the actual league final.

"Winning games in the league has always been a target for Kerry," added Donaghy. "If we can get over the line against Kildare it will set up a big game. But we can't underestimate Kildare. They had a very good start, and struggled a small bit, so we won't be taking them for granted at all.

"It will be great to get to another league final sure, but then Galway are playing fantastic football, and looked very good against Derry last week. So there's a lot of football to come yet."

What's most impressive about Kerry's progress in the league is that it's been achieved without the services of such big names as Colm Cooper, Paul Galvin and Declan O'Sullivan, and Darragh Ó Sé only made his first start last weekend.

"Yeah, we're going well enough, and happy enough within training. But getting all the boys back for the summer is going to be crucial.

"There are others missing too, like Seán O'Sullivan . . . He tore ligaments in his knee, and he's saying as well that if Kerry do get to a league final that's something to aim for. Every player has his own goal."

While the incentive of a third All-Ireland in succession is undoubtedly already driving this Kerry team, Donaghy, understandably, steers clear of that scenario: "We've worked really hard over the last two years, and winning two in a row is something we're delighted with. This year it's three, but that's something we won't be talking about for a long, long time . . . The championship is still a long way away for us . . . We've a lot of training and hard work to be done before then."

Meanwhile, the Dublin manager, Paul Caffrey, has made 10 changes for Dublin's next Division Two outing, against Roscommon at Parnell Park on Saturday from the team that was to start in the postponed game against Armagh last Sunday.

Four of the All-Ireland club winning St Vincent's are called up, with newcomer Michael Savage in goal, Ger Brennan at wing back, and corner forwards Diarmuid Connolly and Tomás Quinn.

Brendan McManamon and captain Alan Brogan return to the forward line. Ciarán Whelan makes his first start of the season at midfield. Stephen O'Shaughnessy and Barry Cahill return in defence, along with Paddy Andrews, brother of the former senior Peadar.

Cork make three changes for their crucial Division Two match with leaders Monaghan. Michael Cussen returns to full forward after missing last weekend's defeat to Cavan. Paudie Kissane comes in at right-wing back for Stephen O'Donoghue, while Seán O'Brien indirectly replaces the injured Owen Sexton.

Midfielder Derek Kavanagh and centre forward Pierce O'Neill are ruled out with injury, as are Noel O'Leary and Anthony Lynch.

DUBLIN (SF v Roscommon):M Savage; D Murray, R McConnell, S O'Shaughnessy; B Cahill, G Brennan, P Andrews; C Whelan, S Ryan; B Brogan, A Brogan, B McManamon; D Connolly, C Keaney, T Quinn.

CORK (SF v Monaghan):A Quirke; D Duggan, G Canty, K O'Connor; P Kissane, G Spillane, J Miskella; N Murphy, A O'Connor; S O'Brien, F Gould, K McMahon; D Goulding, M Cussen, D O'Connor.