FORMER great Stevie McDonnell believes the Armagh players can be better versions of themselves in 2025 and will have more “belief and confidence” following last year’s All-Ireland triumph.
The 2002 All-Ireland winning forward feels there is more growth in the class of ‘24 and that they can become a better team just like Joe Kernan’s side improved after claiming the Sam Maguire.
McDonnell was 23-years-old when he won the All-Ireland in ‘02 but said he became a better player in the years after their historic win.
“The best Armagh team I played on was the 2005 team,” said the Killeavy native.
“That’s the year I played my best football for Armagh. We’d brought in the likes of Ciaran McKeever, Aaron Kernan, Andy Mallon and Brian Mallon – all Rolls Royce’s – and made us better.
“I was at a much higher level in 2005 than I was in, say, 2003.”
Although a second All-Ireland eluded McDonnell and his team-mates, their performances levels were higher, particularly in ‘05.
Winning an All-Ireland, McDonnell says, can have a dramatic effect on the defending champions’ psyche as they approach the new season.
They face beaten All-Ireland finalists Galway in Salthill in their opening NFL Division One game on Saturday January 25 before making their first competitive appearance at home to Tyrone the following week since becoming champions.
“Two words that winning the All-Ireland gave me and gave the Armagh team I played on – belief and confidence,” said McDonnell.
“It definitely instilled a lot of confidence in me and my ability. We knew teams had to start looking up to us and get to our standard. We were the new standard-bearers.
“Armagh are the team to beat in 2025. The players can either go with that or shirk their responsibilities – but I’m convinced this group of Armagh players will grow and enhance their reputation as footballers. Players on an individual level will go to new heights.”
While a young Tyrone team were on the march, Armagh were well equipped to defend their title in ‘03.
Despite underdogs Monaghan knocking them off their perch in Clones in the preliminary round of the 2003 Ulster Championship, Armagh took full advantage of the relatively new back-door system to reach a second successive All-Ireland final, only to lose to the Red Hands.
“When you’d people like ‘Geezer’, [Paul] McGrane and the McEntees [John and Tony] they just wanted to go again and achieve even more. We’d a team full of leaders. We just wanted to drive on and create our legacy after winning the All-Ireland.
“We lost our Ulster opener in ‘03 to Monaghan – Paul Finlay had a great day – but Ronan Clarke, Enda McNulty and ‘Geezer’ didn’t start for us. We were missing four or five massive players for that game. Monaghan deserved their win but was our preparation behind theirs? No.
“We were probably ahead of ourselves. I remember playing Dublin in our first League game in ‘03. We’d beaten them by a point in the All-Ireland semi-finals a few months earlier and we beat them by 11 points in Croke Park.
“Mentally and physically, we probably took it to another level...
“There are a lot of similarities between Aidan Forker and ‘Geezer’. Forker will be the driving force of this team again this year and so will Geezer, obviously. There are a lot of players in the current squad of similar mentality.”