Tipp Under 20 Footballers ready for Championship bow

GAA: Eirgrid Munster Under 20 Football Championship Preview

TIPPERARY v LIMERICK

Fethard Town Park

Friday, 15th March

Throw-in @ 7.00pm

Referee: John Ryan (Cork)

By Shane Brophy

The under 20 footballers will be the first Tipperary’s men’s team in championship action in 2024 when they take on Limerick in the opening round of the Munster Championship this Friday night.

Second year manager Niall Fitzgerald unveiled his 36-man panel last week for the upcoming championship with seventeen survivors from the 2023 squad who exited the championship after just one game, a comfortable Munster quarter final defeat to Clare.

However, the straight knockout format for the championship has been done away with and will be run similar to the minor championship with Tipperary joined with Clare, Limerick, and Waterford in a phase 1 round-robin format with the top two teams joining Kerry and Cork in a phase 2 round-robin. The teams that finish third and fourth in phase 1 will play off in a final with the winner progressing to the All-Ireland ‘B’ semi-finals.

The new format is something Niall Fitzgerald is hugely supportive of.

“It’s massive for us,” he admitted.

“The under 20 grade, especially for counties like Tipperary, is about development. We have to be feeding the senior team, and the more game lads play the better.

“We felt last year’s group had developed significantly throughout the year and when it came to the Clare game, albeit against a very good Clare team as they proved against Kerry when they took Kerry to extra time, we were competitive with them.

“Where that group would have gone if they had gotten more games, who knows.”

The Moyle Rovers clubman is joined in his management team once more by Kevin Mulryan (JK Brackens), Paddy O’Flaherty (Portroe), Paddy O’Gorman (Cahir), Cian Maher (Fethard) and Cian McNally.

With one year’s experience under their belts, they feel they are better prepared for this years championship with their challenge match form much more encouraging than twelve months ago.

Their philosophy as a group is on development with twenty of the panel underage for 2025 as they play the long game in terms of improving the talent pool in Tipperary football.

“We pick lads on merit, but on the other side of it when we were finalising the panel, there wasn’t much point having fellas from number 21-36 in their last year (of eligibility), it doesn’t make sense for a guy up to the game, unless you feel he is going to be getting regular game time,” Fitzgerald explained.

“That is our policy, and we did the same last year. Sentimentality had to go out the window, it’s unfortunate for lads up to the age and it could be their last chance to play inter-county, we have to try and develop players as best we can.”

When it comes to underage football in the county, the elephant in the room is always hurling and who would have made an under 20 football panel last year might have moved onto the hurlers for this year. It doesn’t do much for development, but Niall Fitzgerald is realistic of the situation and feels having a background in football, even for a short time, is better than nothing in terms of possibly getting them back at senior level.

“I am fully aware that most dual players long term ambition is to be a hurler,” Fitzgerald said.

“If you look at the (Tipperary) senior hurling team, there are five to six players that have been on the senior football panel at different stages, and that is the reality in a county where football is second.

“I’m not going to whinge about the dual thing, it is what it is, and we accept it.

“What we do is try and develop the players we have as best we can. If there is a guy underage next year in his final year and wants to have a cut at the hurling, then best of luck to him.”

He added: “It would be a mistake to not have these lads in as even if they play one year under 20 hurling, they will have been in around a football set-up because they might not make it as a senior hurler but might make it as a senior football, and the more development time you can get into these guys the better.

“You only have to look at Paddy Creedon who played underage football and hurling with Tipperary. He went in with the hurlers and is now back in with the footballers and is doing quite well.”

Ahead of the game, Under 20 Football Manager Niall Fitzgearld has named his team and subs.

1 (GK) Robbie McGrath Galtee Rovers

2 Daragh Spillane Fethard

3 Eoin O’Connell Loughmore/Castleiney

4 Mark Corcoran Clonmel Commercials

5 Jack O’Neill Ardfinnan

6 Charlie King - Captain Ballina

7 Thomas Charles Clonmel Commercials

8 Joe Higgins Clonmel Commercials

9 Eoin Doocey Arravale Rovers

10 Ben Carey Ballylooby Castlegrace

11 Joseph Lawrence Rockwell Rovers

12 Michael Freaney Kilsheelan-Kilcash

13 Cian Smith Clonmel Commercials

14 Orrin Jones Arravale Rovers

15 Darragh McVicker Clonmel Og

16 (GK) Shane Ryan Clonmel Commercials

17 Killian Butler Moyle Rovers

18 Conal Grogan Galtee Rovers

19 Evan Hawkins Arravale Rovers

20 Daithi Hogan St. Patricks

21 Darragh O’Brien Aherlow

22 Darragh O’Connor Clonmel Commercials

23 Paddy O’Keeffe Moyle Rovers

24 Sean O'Meara Grangemockler/Ballyneale

Bainisteoir Niall Fitzgearld

Roghnóir (1) Paddy O'Flaherty

Roghnóir (2) Kevin Mulryan

Roghnóir (3) Cian Maher

Roghnóir (4) Paddy O'Gorman

Roghnóir (5) Conor McNally