A tribute to our Boys Gaelic Football Teams!
Updated: Oct 31
Last year, our Senior Boys team made it all the way to the final at Croke Park in the Corn Geoffrey Keating Cup. They lost to a formidable Clonburris team on the day but it was still a brilliant achievement as we all know how difficult it is to get there! This year, we lost a lot of our outstanding Sixth Class players from that team (exactly 14!) and it was very much a rebuilding process. Many players joined the Senior team this year with little to no experience and yet, it was one of our most impressive campaigns in years. The boys won 3 matches, drew one and didn't actually lose until the semi-final where we finally came across a team that were too strong on the day in Francis Street and indeed a team who went on to be the Corn O'Donnchu champions in the final in Croke Park! There may not have been Croke Park glory for us this year but you don't always need toget the glory in order to be recognized and we have to register our compliments for this superb group of young players. They have been so committed to training and the team spirit has been fantastic! We were a fairly small team this year but what the boys lacked in size, they more than made up for in skill and brilliant teamwork! They were so willing to learn and improve and were always up for the battle so we were very proud of how they represented the school. Each and everyone of them deserves a mention in this 'short' tribute!
And where better to start than with our goalkeeper, Sean C! In my opinion, Sean was one of the players of the year! I'm sure he would have loved to have been playing outfield this year but the goalkeeper is such an important position and we needed someone with a safe pair of hands and accurate kickouts between the sticks and Sean being the true team player that he is accepted the role - no questions asked! Sean is as fine a ball striker that you will see and is capable of making spectacular diving saves but it was his overhead catching under pressure that particularly impressed this year! He was brilliant in the group match against Scoil Aine but I have to say that his performance in goals vs Francis Street was the single greatest goalkeeping performance I've ever seen any pupil give in a Sruleen shirt! Sean is so dedicated to his GAA and I have no doubt he will be hungry to make a big impact for the school once hurling season comes around next year!
At corner back, we had a young lad making his debut at Senior Level called Ryan! I only saw Ryan play GAA for the first time during a practice match at lunch break last June but after only 20 minutes of seeing him in action, I remember thinking ' that lad is going to be on the starting team come September'. That said, I didn't realize he was going to be 'this good!'. He is such a natural at this game - it's hard to believe how quickly he picked up the skills. He is a really tough, tenacious player who plays with the swagger and confidence of a lad who has been playing the game for years! To give you an idea of how highly Mr. Flynn and I rate Ryan (and remember, this is a player that has only really been playing the game seriously for 6 weeks!), we trusted him with the all- important centre-half back position in a Cuman na mBunscol semi-final and I have to say, he played brilliantly on the day! We hope Ryan has really enjoyed playing his crucial role on the Senior team this year and that perhaps, it will inspire him to join Round Towers because if I was a scout watching Sruleen this year on the look-out for new recruits, Ryan would definitely be my number one target!!
And now we turn to the legend himself at full back, Joshua! What an absolutely outstanding campaign he had for us this year! This young lad has the heart of a lion! Josh will not shy away from any challenge - he loves nothing more than being in the heat of battle! He really commanded that full back position with complete authority this year. Whether the balls were coming in high or low, Josh was always there to make his presence felt! When the chips were down in the semi-final, Josh never dropped his head once and made countless absolutely outrageously brave diving blocks in his effort to keep us in the game - which is such a great sign of a competitor! Josh is a natural born leader and make no mistake, he is also a very talented and skillful footballer in his own right and I have no doubt, the experience of getting to the semi-final will make him hungrier than ever for when GAA season comes around this time next year in Sruleen!!!
Another boy who had a stellar year in defense for us this year was Ollie! Ollie possesses all the qualities required to be a top Gaelic Football player - He is fast, brave, composed, skillful and has a great competitive spirit! And what an engine he has - he is as fit as a fiddle and will run all day for the cause! In the semi-final, he was easily one of our best players. When the chips were down, he never dropped the head, kept plugging away, tackling ferociously and making himself available for kick-outs which is a great sign of his character. Truth be told, Ollie has been one of our most impressive performers all year and I fully expect him to be a proper leader for us in next year's campaign!
Connor Mc - a true gentleman off the pitch but a true warrior on the pitch! This was Connor's first year playing Senior Football. We were very eager to get him involved this year because despite his lack of experience, we knew he could add a bit of pace and steel to our defence! And thankfully, Connor agreed to join us and I have to say, he was an absolute dream to coach! He approached the campaign with no ego whatsoever, was very open to instruction and determined to improve his skills. He was a dedicated tight man-marker, very selfless in possession and he just worked tirelessly for the team. His tackling in particular was superb. His two best games were against our two toughest opponents so he is clearly a lad who enjoys being in the heat of battle on the sports field and I'm sure he will be looking forward to plenty more battles on the soccer pitch for us next year!
In all honesty, we had a relatively inexperienced team this year and for us to get as far as we did, we were always going to need our more experienced Sixth Class lads to step up to the plate and be real leaders and boy did Alex rise to the occasion this year at Centre Back! Alex is a top quality Gaelic Football player - simple as that! He was one of our best players in Croker last year and he commanded that centre back position with complete authority. His over-head high catching this year was excellent, his decision-making on the ball so sharp and to say his tackling was hardy would be an understatement! I also have to say that when we really needed him in the semi-final with Sean and Cameron missing, he produced an outstanding performance when the chips were down and indeed scored a number of outrageous long range points which kept us in the hunt for as long as we could hang in there! Alex has always been a really committed player for us and he should be very proud of what he has achieved as a Gaelic Footballer for our school over the past few years and I'd say he is chomping at the bit to get going for soccer season in a few months time!
And now we turn to our vice-Captain Fantastic, Mr. Cool himself, Cameron! He was our goalie last year but this year we felt that we needed his experience in our relatively inexperienced defense and he had an absolutely excellent campaign once again this year. Cameron just has a superb footballing brain - he always seems to make the right decision with the ball at the right time, never seems flustered under pressure and is just a very classy, skillful footballer. His close control on the solo is impeccable and what a safe pair of hands he has - he plucked many a high ball out of the sky this year! Above all though, I can't stress enough of what a great example Cameron set for the younger lads on how to conduct oneself at training - he really showed why he deserved his selection as vice-captain this year. Anyway, Sixth Class is far from done for Cameron and there will be a certain competition involving sticks and a sliotar that I'm sure Cameron will have his mind already set on so I've no doubt, he will be doing lots of practice over the Winter Months!
And now to our brilliant captain, Sean R! We were really impressed with how Sean reacted to having to take on the responsibility of being captain. Sean did most of his talking on the pitch - leading by example by demonstrating a steely determination and tireless work-rate at centre-field. However, he was also really encouraging to our younger lads and indeed was taking the warm-ups before the match by the end of the campaign. Sean really was so dominant this year at midfield. He teamed up really well in the central diamond with Alex, Luke and Marcos, never shirked his defensive duties and also chipped in with some magnificent scores off that trusty lefty boot of his. Above all though, perhaps what Sean will be remembered most for were his breath-taking high catches over the past two years, particularly in crowded areas at high pressure moments! Sadly, Sean couldn't play the semi-final vs Francis Street and he was sorely missed but he still had a wonderful campaign as captain and in my book, he should go down as one of the best players to play for Sruleen over the last 10 years!
In the blog last year, I highlighted Marcos as the type of player you'd pay money to see in full flight! Well, he took it to a completely new level this year! Marcos has incredible natural talent- he is more than capable of being fully in control of the football while soloing at full speed, his first touch is so sharp, he can strike the ball accurately off both feet and he has outrageous pace! Marcos tends to be quite quiet off the pitch but on it he was a real leader for us this year. He scored 2-8 of our 2-9 vs Scoil Aine in one of the best performances I've ever seen any boy give in a Sruleen jersey!! It's no accident that he has been on the Senior team since Fourth Class and when you consider that he was instrumental in helping our school get to Croke Park two years in a row, (scoring on both occasions), he surely has to go down as one of our greats when all is said and done! Now that his school Gaelic Football career is done (though Towers will always be there for him), I'm sure Marcos is counting down the days for the soccer season to start!
As for Luke at midfield, what an outstanding campaign he had for the school this year. Luke is still only in Fifth Class and there was a lot of responsibility on his shoulders but he was more than up to the challenge and never gave up when the going got tough even when he often had to mark much bigger lads than he is! Luke worked so well together with his midfield partner, Sean. He was a real box to box player - always a scoring threat from midfield but never forgetting about his defensive and blocking duties. Luke is a fair player but he certainly won't shy away from a tackle or a shoulder! Luke is very technically talented but he is also very dedicated and hard-working so are we lucky to still have a player of his calibre leading the charge for us in next year's campaign. In the meantime, we already know what is on Luke's mind for the next term : Hurling, Hurling, Hurling!
If we were giving out a reward for the most improved player, you couldn't look too much further than Eli! Eli has been so dedicated to self-improvement that he pretty much got to a level where we ended up considering him one of our first forwards on the name sheet. Eli was a big link man between our midfield and attack as he tirelessly made himself available to link up with the midfielders running through. He is a very skillful player too and some of the pin-point accurate kick-passes he produced this year were a joy to watch! Eli is just a great young sportsman. One of the most important traits a young sportsman can have is the willingness to always improve. And make no mistake, Eli has this trait in abundance and will be an absolutely crucial player to our hurling team come the next term!
Making the all-important full forward position his own this year was Lewis! Lewis proved to be a great target man as he has such a great pair of hands for those high balls being sent in. He is also smart enough to take up good positions to pounce on rebounds and indeed was one of our top goal-scorers this year - my personal favourite being his clinical finish vs Scoil Santain. But Lewis is a proper team player too and is more than willing to give the pop-pass to a team-mate if they are in a better position. He has great vision and spots passes that many others would never see. Above all though, Lewis is such a kind, helpful boy who regularly volunteers to help bring in bibs, jerseys, cones etc. and he'll be someone I'll be hoping that the younger lads learn from once GAA season comes around again!
Max is a very smart player- he has a great instinct for reading where the ball is going and recognizing what the best positions to take up are - That's why in every match he has played for us this year, he has always seemed to be able to find a way to get on the ball! He is a very versatile player who has performed well for us in both defense and attack this year but mostly plays his best stuff in that crowded middle third of the pitch where you need quick-thinking, aware players like Max to ensure that the team holds on to possession! He is also seems to really rise to the big occasion because I think his best match was actually the semi-final! Hopefully, he has caught the GAA bug now and actually considers joining Towers because he can only go from strength to strength if he did!
This was Fraser's first year playing GAA for the school senior team and I consider him to be a player with great potential. First of all, his catching is excellent but he is a natural ball player. He is sharp, fast and always looks to give the pass to a teammate in a good position. He also reads the game very well and made a number of great interceptions for us in the second half of the semi-final vs Francis Street. Fraser is also a great goalie but he has been really keen to improve on his GAA skills this campaign and he has certainly shown us enough to suggest that he can make a big contribution to the Senior GAA team next year!
Cole (aka the Pocket Rocket) is a serious talent! He is a talent we have been excited about for a while and after his man of the match performance vs Scoil Aine in the Go Games match where he scored 2-4, we decided that he would be a great asset to the Senior team! Cole may have been the smallest player on the Senior Team this year but he could well have had the biggest heart! He is completely fearless and will tackle relentlessly and throw himself onto the ball for a block to stop a defender getting the ball up the field. Cole still has a little bit of work to do on his skills, but considering his natural speed, once he perfects his skills, he is going to be dynamite next year! So hopefully Cole keeps practicing and maybe even considers that now is finally the time to show the boys down in Towers what he can do!
Alfie had a superb campaign for both the Go Games team and the Senior team this year. He mostly played in defence where he read the game tremendously well, was very comfortable carrying the ball out of defense on a solo run before always trying to make sure to find a Sruleen player with his distribution! Alfie has been really keen to practice his skills during break times as well and it was great to see his confidence grow as a result. Above all, his attitude is second to none and I'm sure he will be looking to push on to the next level once GAA season comes around again this time next year!
As I have already stated, we had a very young and small team this year and Vova added some badly needed height, strength and aggression to our squad! Vova is a very versatile player. He sometimes played in the forward line this year but he also had to step into goals a few times where he made some brilliant saves against St. Peter's especially. He is a passionate player who will always give you 100%. Vova loves his sport - he will always put himself forward for any sport that's going on here at Sruleen and I'm sure he is already looking forward to getting back into battle mode when hurling season comes around in the next term!
Archie is another one of our players who started off on the Go Games before making the step up to Senior Level very smoothly indeed. We initially thought that because Archie has such a great pair of hands that he would make a good option as a goalkeeper but there are many strings to Archie's bow and he proved himself a very useful option in the forwards this year too. He has a powerful strike of a ball, a safe pair of hands and is a very accurate kicker. Archie's attitude has always been absolutely superb too - he is very respectful and listens carefully to instructions. He loves his GAA and I'm sure he will be eager to impress Mr. Whelan come hurling season time!
Rugby star, Ben, has always demonstrated a natural talent for GAA and indeed, he produced some fantastic highlights for the team this year too. Ben's actual handling and catching is probably as good as any of more experienced players on the team! He has charged out of defence with the ball after claiming a high catch on numerous occasions this year and he also proved a threatening option for us as a forward at the edge of the square - he was so sharp to pounce on a breaking ball in the semi-final only to stick it over for once of the points of the day. Ben has always put himself forward for GAA in the school and I would have loved for him to have gotten a chance to play in Croke Park this year but hopefully, he will consider giving the hurling a go because Mr. Whelan will be delighted to have him on board!
Joel came into this Senior campaign with little to no GAA experience and yet by the time we reached the semi-finals against Scoil Aine, his performances had been so impressive that his place on the starting team became nailed on! Joel just seems to love to compete and he will never stop running for the cause - he is a real whole-hearted player that will just stand up and be counted. Joel has plenty of technical skill and he can be a very tricky solo runner for defenses to have to deal with but my favourite memory of Joel this year was when he shouldered a lad twice his size off the ball in the heat of battle vs Scoil Aine and that is exactly the sort of competitive fire we want to see from him over the next few years! In the meantime, Towers are calling, Joel!!
TJ has always shown great interest in playing GAA for the school and this year he really made that step up to Senior Level. He has tremendous balance and is very adept at manufacturing space for himself in tight spaces to get his shot off. His catching is also very secure on his chest and his shooting has been top notch. He was definitely one of our go-to men for scores this year! He was particularly impressive in the quarter-final vs Scoil Santain and hopefully, the experience of getting to the semi-final this year will make him more determined to keep practicing his skills so that he will be fully ready for another crack at trying to get to Croker next year! Above all, you will not find many boys with better attitudes at a training session than TJ!
And last but most certainly not least is Liam! Liam is a strong, determined young player who is particularly adept at catching high balls! He can play in defense or attack and he is more than capable of doing a good job for the team. Liam is a whole-hearted player who always tries to play from the front and attack the ball. His ball winning skills are really good and he certainly doesn't shy away from a hardy block. Indeed, in the semi-final, he was more than willing to put his body on the line to make brave blocks and that is the sort of commitment to the team we love to see here at Sruleen. He's also a lovely, mannerly lad and we'd love him to consider joining Towers because he has a lot more to offer this sport! Well done, Liam!
So there you have it! We also took part in the CnmB Go Games competition and Mr. Whelan and Mr. Moran were the managers. We had a really enthusiastic group of young players. It was a keenly contested competition. We won some, we lost some but one thing is for sure - we had a lot of very impressive performers in those matches and Mr. Whelan and Mr. Moran were very proud of how they all competed. Most of these boys are very young so they will not be receiving as comprehensive a write-up because there will be plenty to say about these great talents in the coming years but they still deserve a mention for their valuable contributions.
Our Fourth Class stars included Joshua, Calvin, Ollie D, Olly G, Harry, Mason, Sam W and Jaxon.
Joshua is a fearless warrior of a player. He is a Towers star who is very dedicated to this sport! He's strong in the air, competes just about as hard as anyone and is ferociously tough in the tackle and will no doubt be determined to make the step up to Senior Level next year.
Ollie D recently joined Towers and I hear he has been really impressing the coaches but with his footballing ability and his brilliant, positive attitude. Ollie has a fantastic pair of hands and is a great exponent of the overhead catch. For sure, he is someone we will definitely be eager to bring on board for the Senior Team next year as we know he will keep working hard to improve his game over the next 12 months.
Mason is a real livewire of a player. He is a speedy and tricky forward and you can definitely that he has a few years of Towers experience under his belt now as his skill on the solo run is at a high level now. Truth be told, he has a player with the potential for a very high ceiling so we hope he continues to work on his skills as there's every chance he might get the call up to play at Senior Level next year!
Calvin is a very skillful player for someone who doesn't play GAA for a club. He has tremendous close control on the solo run and is well able to take on his man! His beautiful point against Lucan ET was one of the scores of the year! Calvin is also incredibly driven and will be so keen to prove that he is a player than can make a big impact over the next few years!
Olly G is another Fourth Class star with a lot of potential. He has incredible strength for his age and he is capable of striking a ball further than some of our Sixth Class lads. Olly's first love seems to be soccer but we hope he continues to be keen to improve at GAA too because he is one to watch for sure!
Harry has always been so eager to play GAA at the school here and he sure has a lot of natural ability! He catches those balls on his chest really securely and he certainly has a keen eye for goal as he proved against Scoil Aine and something tells me it won't be the last time he will be finding the back of the net in a Sruleen jersey!
Jaxon was definitely one of our more versatile players on the Go Games team this year - he is equally as comfortable playing in defense or attack. He always looks to make an impact on a match and loves nothing more than to go off on a mazy solo-run! He has a great attitude too and and always gives his best in a Sruleen jersey!
Sam W loves his GAA. He is a Towers star and was a Sruleen star this year too. He is a very busy player who loves to be in the thick of the action. He always makes himself available for a pass from his teammates but is also very selfless in possession himself - he will always pass to a teammate in a better position. I've no doubt Sam will be raring to get back into action come GAA season next year!
We also had a lot of very talented players from Third Class involved in the Go Games this year too including Jack, Alex K, Alex S, Sam H, Reece, Ethan, Josh and Bobby. Given that there will be plenty to say about this group of players in future years, we will keep the write-up short and sweet but all of them deserve some kind of a mention for their efforts this year.
Firstly, there is Jack who really stands out as a classy footballer out there. He has safe hands, intelligent decision-making, excellent close control and super-accurate ball striking so we certainly expect him to be a very important player for us in future years. As for Alex K, you will not find a better ball-striker off a left foot at his age! He is a very talented player (his soloing is also excellent), overall but it's that magic left-foot of his that is destined to be a lethal weapon for Sruleen in years to come! Alex S is another one of our Towers Stars in Third Class and he certainly takes after his brother Clive when it comes to his drive and determination. Alex is a tough cookie who tackles tenaciously and we can certainly see him playing a big part for Sruleen at Senior level in both Gaelic Football and Hurling! Reece is a really enthusiastic and versatile player. He can be a really effective full forward but is also a real safe pair of hands in Goals too - whatever position Reece plays, we have been really impressed with some of his difficult catches of high balls this year and we look forward to seeing more of him in a Sruleen jersey in the coming years. Both Sam H's brother and sister were some of the best players we have ever had in the school so it was no surprise to see Sam adapt to Gaelic Football so quickly. He was a real livewire at midfield this year, linked up play really well with his team-mates and was a great man to catch the ball on the hop. He is simply a natural at this game and is determined to keep practicing which is great news for us at Sruleen! You'd be hard pressed to find a more enthusiastic player out there than Ethan. He brought so much positivity to the team this year and was willing to play in a number of different positions. He probably played his best stuff in defense as he was able to cut out a number of attacks from opposing teams only to then produce a fine clearance out of defense! And he is also a Towers star so once again, he is a player who can only keep getting better from year to year! As for Josh O'F, though he may not have much Gaelic Footballing experience, he certainly possesses some of the most important traits required to excel at this sport. He is fast and fit (he has also performed very well for the school in the Cross Country Races this year) and he is also quite a natural ball striker. We'd love to see Josh give GAA a go down at Towers because we certainly see a lot of potential in him! Last but most certainly not least is Bobby. It's very rare that we see a player striking the ball so well off both feet already by Third Class. But Bobby has clearly put a lot of work into improving his skills and can do exactly that! He is a really flighty, exciting player who is more than capable of taking on his man on a solo run. He also knows exactly where the goals are so we are very excited about Bobby's potential here in Sruleen.
We didn't make it to Croker this year but the boys certainly tried their best and provided us with many wonderful memories. Mr. Flynn was a huge help this year! He still feels that his genius as a tactician doesn't get recognized enough but to be fair to him, his commitment to training is never in doubt! Mr. Kelly is a huge driving force behind the promotion of GAA in the school and always came out to watch the boys play whenever he could. He is very proud of what they have achieved and is looking forward to seeing how they get on with the hurl and sliotar come Hurling season! We also want to thank all the parents and grandparents who have been so supportive of all the boys and girls all throughout the campaign. We often get lots of volunteers to provide lifts to the away matches. We want to assure you that these sacrifices do not go unnoticed. We also have to thank the LGFA , the Maldron Hotel and Wayne Gaynor from R'n'R cleaning for sponsoring our jerseys and the Fitzsimons and Kenny families for sponsoring the team jackets and bags respectively. I apologize in advance if I have missed out on any person who has made a contribution or donation that I am not aware of. Above all, it has been great to see so many people come out and support the girls and boys this year and long may it continue!
We also want to take a moment to thank the volunteers at CnmB who do a mountain of work that goes unnoticed behind the scenes to make these amazing CnmB competitions possible. Our own Mr. Stevenson knows all about it for the Santry Athletics. It's not easy work and it should not go unappreciated!
Finally, we want to congratulate Francis Street on winning the Corn O' Donnchu cup. They were a very well coached team with many excellent players and thoroughly deserved their victory! I
t's nice to know that both teams that knocked us out in the boys and girls competitions went on to win the cups showing that we weren't too far away at all and maybe got a bit unlucky to land on the side of the draws we did! Anyway, coming up against strong teams like the Francis Street school should give our boys even more motivation to practice because now, we can see the levels we need to reach if we are to give ourselves a chance to get to Croke Park again because even though we will be losing some of our greats next year, we will still be holding on to the majority of this year's team with some other good young lads coming through so there is plenty of reason to be optimistic for the future!
So yeah, Happy Halloween everyone! See ya at school on Monday!