FOR SOME measure of how far Longford football has come in the last three years look no further than Michael Quinn.
Last October, torn between trying to extend his professional career in the Australian Football League and returning home to Longford, he made what seemed like a bold call.
Why would a young man of 22, who’d set the record for the quickest AFL debut for a former Gaelic footballer, not stick with the big city, bright lights?
And what was it about Longford football, the team that haven’t won a championship match in Leinster in 11 years, which actually convinced him to come home?
Truth is Quinn wasn’t offered an extension to his three-year contract with Essendon, despite his highly promising beginnings, including that near instant debut in round two of the AFL, against Freemantle, in 2009. The change of management at Essendon didn’t help, but he could still have put his name into the AFL draft.
Instead, something about Longford football drew him back.
“At that stage I was quite happy to come home,” says Quinn. “I’d been getting plenty of updates from home, texts and that during games, that something was happening there, and when I knew Longford were going well it definitely helped me make that decision to come home.”
That was during 2011, when Longford were finally promoted from Division Four of the league, winning the division outright. They lost their opening match in Leinster to Laois, 0-10 to 0-9, yet manager Glenn Ryan was clearly taking them in the right direction.
Come 2012, Ryan’s fourth season in charge, Quinn’s return was a welcome bonus, but rather than play him in the forward line, where Quinn had shone as a minor, Ryan positioned him at the heart of the Longford defence, where his exceptional mobility and accuracy added an extra dimension. If Longford were to make further progress they needed the complete package, not just occasionally spirited forwards.
“We have tightened up a bit. We have the forwards, but it’s about working on the other side too and things are starting to come together.”
Longford were unbeaten throughout the league in seven games, capping it off with a two-point win over a fancied Wexford in the Division Three final.
“It’s been huge,” says Quinn, “coming up two divisions in two years is a pretty big thing. We’ve got consistency now, which was always missing in Longford. It’s probably been the mentality that we have changed, more than anything. Longford football is improving, we have a good team and we’re on the up. But as one of the sides from a so-called ‘weaker’ county, that’s one of the main things, the mentality.”
But Longford haven’t won a Leinster championship match in 11 years. In 2001 they beat Louth 1-11 to 1-9 before losing the quarter-final to Dublin, 2-19 to 1-13.
Quinn welcomes the home advantage against Laois on Sunday, but Laois are coming off Division One football, albeit having been relegated:
“Everyone is saying it will be a help being at home, but you have to perform, put in the same work rate. Once we have that hopefully the result will go our way. It’s something we have looked at from the start of the year, and hopefully we can carry on that consistency.”
Quinn has no regrets about leaving the big stage of the AFL for the opening stage of the Leinster championship: “As a young guy I always wanted to play professional sport, be it soccer or rugby or whatever. But it’s a lot tougher than people think. You need to know what you’re letting yourself in for before you go.
“People think it’s all bright lights, interviews, and all that. But it’s hard work, coming home after training, not being fit to do anything else, and looking after yourself. At the end of the day it’s a business . . . Being away from home is a huge factor too.” Home again now, he can be a huge plus factor for Longford on Sunday.
