Jordan admits Tyrone old guard face tough decisions

GAELIC GAMES:AFTER NINE seasons in charge and some incredibly long, hard and successful summers you might think Mickey Harte has had enough. Yet not even the resounding defeat to Dublin last Saturday night has lessened his appetite to lead Tyrone into 2012, and possibly even beyond. The appetite of his team, however, is not as clear.

Harte had already agreed to remain on for another year, no matter what happened in Croke Park on Saturday, but reckons “it is inevitable that people who have been playing at the top level for 10, 11 or 12 years may have to consider what they’re doing.”

Long-serving defender Philip Jordan admits he is among them, and that for at least six of the Tyrone team that have won three All-Irelands, the question of retirement is now alive and kicking.

“A right few of us have a few decisions to make,” he says, “but we’ll sit down over the winter, take our time, get the club season finished, and we’ll all review our situation then.

“We’re going to have a long break now, county football is not back until January. But I’m sure there’s going to be a few changes anyway. I won’t be on my own, visiting the retirement question. There’ll maybe be six or seven of us, but we’ll take our time, there’s no point in rushing into decisions like that. We’ll see where it takes us in January.”

One of the football management positions that did open up over the weekend was in Galway, and Alan Mulholland, who led Galway to the All-Ireland under-21 title this year, has expressed an early interest in taking over from Tomás Ó Flatharta, after he failed to receive the backing of the county delegates to remain in charge for a second year.

“To be honest, I was hoping to remain as under-21 manager next year and defend our crown,” said Mulholland. “That was my focus and I was not expecting to have to deal with any issue about the senior job. I enjoyed a very good working relationship with Tomás and he and his management were extremely co-operative and helpful to us throughout the year and that played a big part in our success. If I’m nominated I will give it consideration but we will just have to wait and see what happens over the coming weeks.”

In the meantime the chairman of the Galway football board, John Joe Holleran, has confirmed that delegates on Friday night stressed the job had to go to a local man, which appears to dismiss the speculation linking Mick O’Dwyer with the job.

While John McIntyre is still considering his future as Galway hurling manager, Galway minor hurling team manager Mattie Murphy, speaking on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta this weekend, said the senior hurling team was badly in need of a clean out – suggesting that neither Ger Loughnane nor McIntyre had undertaken to do so during their tenure, and that this was at the root of the team’s disappointing performances over the last number of years.

Meanwhile, there is speculation in Kerry that Eoin Brosnan is to be dropped from the centre back position ahead of the All-Ireland football semi-final date with Mayo on Sunday week.

Brosnan made a comeback from retirement this year to fill the position, but is now expected to drop to the bench, with Aidan O’Mahony slotting in, Shane Enright coming in at right corner back, and Killian Young going to wing back.

What is certain is that Bryan Sheehan and Anthony Maher will continue at midfield, while Darran O’Sullivan has resumed full training after the recent hamstring scare in the quarter-final win over Limerick.