Absence has made the heart grow fonder for blaine
Having been away for many of St Brigid's county final wins, Darragh Blaine tells Kevin Egan that he's really looking forward to this Sunday's final against St Faithleach's.
Nobody would suggest that a team like St Brigid’s would lack ability, fitness or experience, but after picking up seven of the last nine county titles on offer, matching the hunger of a club like St Faithleach’s is another matter entirely.
The Ballyleague side won their one and only Roscommon SFC title all of 49 years ago, so most of Enon Gavin’s men will be playing in the biggest game of their careers so far when they line out in Dr Hyde Park this Sunday (Hyde Park, 3.30pm).
They do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, however, and for Darragh Blaine, living in Australia has heightened his appetite for an occasion like this. He’s certain that whatever else happens, lack of hunger for success won’t be an issue.
“I’ve been away for a few years so it’s my first final in a while, I’m really looking forward to it. Most of the lads have been a good few finals but it’s a bit different for me.”
“It’s not just me either, we’ve seven minors in the squad and they’ve their own county final to look forward to and it’s a huge day for them, we haven’t won a minor since 2005. There’s some great players coming through and though they don’t train with us the whole time, any time they do, there’s a real freshness there.”
A few years away from the game has also helped Blaine to step back and appreciate how much Gaelic football has changed over the past couple of seasons, though he pointed out, too, that the legacy of managers like Jim McGuinness even touched the shores of Australia for a while.
“I’m a bit of a purist so I wouldn’t be a fan (of defensive football) but unfortunately it’s the way it’s gone. You look at the All Ireland final, it was the very same”, he said.
“After being away for a few years, blanket defences are all new to me. As a forward, when I was playing a few games earlier on in the year, it was very difficult and very frustrating. I like to play around with the ball a bit and it’s very hard to do that now, but that’s what you’re up against, you just have to deal with it.
'It’s something that we’re working on in training and especially the guys that have come in from the county team, they did a lot of work on it this year and they give you an insight on how to break these defensive systems down. Kerry were the perfect example of a team that managed it - they adapted to every game they played and to different scenarios.”
“I played a bit in Australia and even there I noticed how half-backs were playing as forwards and half-forwards playing as backs. That was a bit of a shock to the system. Fitness levels have increased too on account of it because half-backs are pushing up the whole time and half-forwards are getting back, but they’re still covering their natural positions.”
Blaine’s comeback to senior championship football in Roscommon has been a gradual one, and he spoke about how it took him plenty of time to find his feet once again.
“The intensity and the pace of senior championship football, nothing prepares you for that. I came back and I started by playing a bit of junior to get myself back into it, while I was training hard and I thought I was getting into fairly good shape.'
'But when you play senior championship it’s a completely different level, you’re blowing hard. Even the last day there I was only on for fifteen minutes but you’re blowing hard and trying to get your second wind. Sunday’s going to be a huge step up again so hopefully I’ll be ready for it and able to produce my best if called upon,” Darragh added.
*See this Westmeath Independent for more on Sunday's Roscommon SFC final - including the views of St Brigid's manager Benny O'Brien, and veteran goalkeeper and columnist Shane Curran.