Ireland captain Michael Murphy has conceded he could be in danger of missing some or all of next month’s International Rules tour in Australia should his Donegal club commitments extend into the Ulster championship.
Murphy, who captains his country for the second successive year, is part of the 25-man travelling panel announced by Ireland manager Paul Earley, ahead of the one-match series in Perth on November 22nd.
Murphy will play with his club Glenswilly in Sunday’s Donegal football final, and a victory there would send them straight into the Ulster championship.
First up would be the Ulster quarter-final on Sunday week, and another Glenswilly victory there would mean a semi-final date on November 16th: by then, the Irish squad would be in Australia, having departed on the 12th, with an important warm-up game scheduled for the 16th in Melbourne against the semi-pro Victorian Football League selection.
Club manager
“There’s no point in trying to speculate at the moment,” says Murphy. “I really haven’t given it any thought, and that’s the truth. I don’t like to say we’ll make it up as we go along, but we’ll communicate with the Ireland manager, and communicate with the club manager. If it (the clash) does come, we’ll make plans then.
“You balance club and county football all year, now it’s balancing club and international football. But there’s really no point chatting about it now. That would be very disrespectful towards the game this weekend. We’ll be going in as underdogs, against St Eunan’s, and it’s a big day for our club. That’s where my full attentions are for now, to give everything to win a county championship with my club.”
Murphy is not the only Irish player facing a potential club-versus-country clash, as Chrissy McKaigue (Derry), Conor McManus (Monaghan) and Ciaran McDonald (Tipperary) are also still involved in club championships.
It could be that Murphy joins up with Ireland even if Glenswilly make the Ulster final. That game is set for November 30th and Murphy could possibly go to Australia and be back in time for it.
What is certain is that he is expecting a greater challenge this time from Australia, given that the home side have named their strongest possible selection.
Star-studded
“This year you are looking at a star-studded Aussie team. They have home advantage, and the new rules that have been introduced will favour the Aussies a hell of a lot too. So I think it will tip the balance in their favour,” he says
Murphy has also conceded that finding a new Donegal football manager is no easy task, adding that Jim McGuinness’s decision to step away came as a bit of a shock.
“It was a gonk,” says Murphy. “We got a couple of gonks in the space of a couple of weeks, losing the All-Ireland final too. It was a tough enough old time.
“But looking back now, Jim just stayed true to his word. He said he would stay for four years, and he put absolutely everything into it. I wouldn’t say losing the final made any difference, but I am only guessing. He possibly had his decision already made. But he owes us absolutely nothing. We had fantastic times.”
Former assistant manager Rory Gallagher remains the favourite to take over, although Murphy and the rest of the Donegal team are happy to accept whichever man comes their way: “I think it is better for the players to stay out of it completely. In fairness to the county board, they have their procedures in place. They have a big task on their hands now, but I am sure they will do it right.”
