GAA/2006 Football Championship launch: The launch of the Bank of Ireland football championship in Croke Park yesterday was overshadowed by the horrific leg-break sustained by Tyrone forward Brian McGuigan last Sunday. Gavin Cummiskey reports
McGuigan sustained the injury after an accidental clash while playing for his club Ardboe against Dromore in a league game. The match was subsequently abandoned.
The player will be transferred from Derry to the Royal Hospital in Belfast over the coming days, where he will undergo surgery and be under the care of Tyrone physiotherapist Louis O'Connor.
"He is one of a kind," said Harte of his centre forward. "There is one player who comes along in every generation with vision, ability to pass the ball, get away from his marker and take scores. He had all the aspects you would want in a centre forward.
"You take Brian McGuigan and Peter Canavan out of any forward line and there is a serious hole there. There is going to have to be other players stepping up and improving their individual performances. That's the challenge for our players."
No surprise then that the issue of Canavan coming out of retirement came up. Harte, however, dismissed the suggestion even when presented with a history of famous GAA comebacks.
"I think Tyrone football has to stand up without Peter Canavan. If we keep knocking on his door every time we hit a crisis - what's going on here? We will do our best with the people we have."
Harte was adamant the McGuigan injury should not lead to hysterical reaction. Ger Cavlan and Raymond Mulgrew were cited as potential replacements at centre forward. He also stressed it would be a mistake for the current club-county fixtures agreement to be reassessed.
In Tyrone, county panellists are released to play half the regular-season league games and every play-off match.
"Players need to play club football," said Harte. "When it's managed properly the clubs are the bedrock of the association. If we can validate the clubs first and the county (panel) is not disadvantaged by it, that's the way I want to do things.
"Injuries happen during a training game. Injuries happen crossing the street. You don't know what's going to happen. You have to gamble on it. It would be a sad day for club football if county players were wrapped up in cotton wool."
Eventually the discussion got around to the upcoming championship. Tyrone are this year attempting to become the first county since Cork back in 1990 to retain the Sam Maguire.
They failed in a similar attempt two years ago but the extenuating circumstances were such that making the quarter-finals was a huge achievement in itself.
"We always have to factor in that 2004 wasn't an ordinary year for Tyrone footballers so what we learn we can't totally quantify just yet. Certainly we would have learned that after winning the first All-Ireland there was an air of celebration until Cormac (McAnallen) died. Then there was an air of despair.
"Really, in many ways, we are on new ground. We don't know what it is like without any major setback and of course now we have the setback of losing Brian McGuigan.
"You can't predict too much in this game and you must just play the hand you are dealt.
"I know we have learned how hard it is to play games as champions, whether it be in the National League or McKenna Cup, people like to play the champions. Teams raise their game. That will happen again this year."
The first test comes on May 28th when Derry, and their reinstated manager, Paddy Crozier, arrive at Healy Park, Omagh.
Paul Caffrey, who was also at yesterday's launch, was naturally sympathetic to McGuigan's plight but the Dublin manager has his own problems. He may have to plan without Darren Magee and Collie Moran for the Leinster championship opener against Longford on June 4th.
"Darren Magee is seeing an orthopaedic surgeon on Thursday and there could be bad news awaiting him," said Caffrey. "It could be an operation. Collie Moran is our captain this year but hasn't kicked the ball yet. Again, another huge loss to Dublin football at the moment. He has a groin problem that isn't coming right.
"Stephen O'Shaughnessy had a major shoulder operation and hasn't played club football. Tomás Quinn will be fine."
It's feared Magee has been playing for a number of months with a fractured scaphoid bone - lately known as the "Kilmacud metatarsal" because another Dublin panellist from Crokes, Pat Burke, and club captain Declan Kelleher, are also laid low by the injury.
If Magee requires an operation he would be unavailable for six to eight weeks. The scaphoid is a small bone connecting the thumb to the wrist.
The influential midfielder missed most of last year's championship as he was in Australia but has proved the perfect foil for Ciarán Whelan since his return.
