STRENGTH and conditioning coach Mike McGurn believes that Antrim’s inter-county players are treated as well as any other team in the country and has been hugely impressed with the players’ commitment levels despite some recent departures.
Tomás and Michael McCann stepped away from this year’s Antrim set-up, while Kevin O’Boyle, Kevin Niblock and Brian Neeson have not returned in 2015. In his first season as Antrim’s senior football manager, Frank Fitzsimons made a decent stab at gaining promotion out of Division Four. Had they beaten Offaly in their final game, they would have been playing Division Three football next season.
The Saffrons are preparing to assume centre stage with Fermanagh in this Sunday’s Ulster Championship quarter-final clash at Brewster Park.
“Preparations have been good,” said McGurn, a Fermanagh native.
“At the end of the League and players leaving was almost like a natural break. Some players have left and don’t want to play Championship, which is surprising. A few players have come in, the likes of Kieran McGourty and Colm Duffin – and to be honest they’ve been a breath of fresh air.
“And Jack Dowling has come in as well. Jack wouldn’t be a recognised player but, for b**** and guts, you wouldn’t get anybody better. He played Sigerson for Queen’s… so all those new players have really helped. The atmosphere is brilliant. At the end of the day, playing football is an amateur sport. Players don’t have to be there.”
Recruited by Fitzsimons at the start of the season, McGurn can’t understand the “furore” in Antrim when a player steps away from the county set-up.
“If they leave, they leave – and good luck to them. You move on. But if somebody leaves the Antrim panel, it’s almost like there’s a hidden agenda to them leaving," he added.
“I know it might sound a bit callous but, if somebody leaves, I really couldn’t care. Players leave panels. It happens all the time in Gaelic football. A few boys leave and you say: ‘Thanks very much – and good luck’.”
While Antrim are condemned to Division Four football next year, Fermanagh won promotion to Division Two this season and are generally regarded as a much-improved outfit from the one that narrowly lost to the Saffrons in last year’s Ulster Championship.
“They’re playing well under Pete McGrath,” said McGurn.
“He’s really brought them a long way. But Fermanagh being hot favourites might go against them a wee bit because playing in Brewster Park on Championship day, there’ll be quite a volatile Fermanagh support expecting big things from them, so that could put a bit of pressure on their players.
“Last year, the game was more 50-50, whereas this year they will be hot favourites. The expectation will be on them.”
Asked what he has learned about the current crop of Antrim players after watching them in Division Four this season, McGurn replied: “What have I learned? I have learned that this group of players play to the level of the team they’re playing against.
“So if they’re playing against London, they’ll play at their level. The same with Longford. I tell you what I have learned is in terms of facilities, the food, the training that we do, the way they’re treated after games, Antrim players are treated the same if not better than players in other counties.
“When you come in you’re led to believe everything is wrong, everything is poor. But they’re looked after as well as anybody. I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was.
“Everybody that is there are doing their best. Whether that’s good enough, who knows? Only the players can decide that but we’re trying our best and that’s all you can ask. After that, you can live with yourself.”
