FEW men know better than Kevin McKernan what Paddy Tally can offer Down football as the Mournemen prepare for their first game under the Galbally man this weekend.
McKernan was one of the more experienced heads on the St Mary’s University College side that landed a stunning Sigerson Cup success in 2017.
‘The Ranch’, one of the smallest colleges in the country, defeated red hot favourites University College Dublin in the final in a victory that proved one of the defining days of Tally’s coaching career.
McKernan was already well acquainted with the Tyrone man before their days at St Mary’s, with Tally having worked alongside Ross Carr and James McCartan during previous Down management regimes.
And the Burren stalwart is excited by the potential in the county following their latest link-up.
“Working with him at St Mary’s, he’s a fantastic man-manager in terms of what’s needed for a different range of players, and he can adapt his training to suit that,” said McKernan, who is not expected to feature in Sunday’s Dr McKenna Cup opener against Cavan as he recovers from a shoulder injury.
“In terms of widening the net and looking at what’s there in Down, he’s done that.
The last three or four weeks they’ve been trialling boys, the panel’s been cut, but still he’s wanting to look at as many players as he can because, over the last two or three years, it hasn’t been good enough.
“The fact so many boys haven’t committed, for whatever reason… you know, you don’t go looking boys to play county football, you either want to do it or not and Paddy will put things in place that encourage a positive atmosphere and they’ll want to be there.
“If you do that, hopefully it’ll lead to a positive season.”
Tally was involved with his native Tyrone during their first All-Ireland success back in 2003 and, after later stints at Down and Derry, joined Kevin Walsh’s Galway backroom team for the 2018 campaign.
The Tribesmen hit the ground running but still some barbs were directed Tally’s way, with some pundits lamenting the defensive style of play deployed by Galway.
McKernan is quick to laugh off the criticism that has come his manager’s way, insisting Tally “doesn’t restrict you in what you do going forward”.
“If you don’t score, you don’t win. Playing with Paddy, we’ve been told to express ourselves on the front foot,” said the 31-year-old.
“'The Down Way’, it’s complete nonsense. Boys are playing on this notion that 2010 was based on getting back to the ‘Down Way’ of ’91 and ’94 - it’s a catchphrase that people and maybe journalists are quick to go on.
“In Down, we enjoy our football and we know now that we have to be set up well. Being naïve to go out and play 15 on 15 is just nonsense. We’ll be as expansive as we can, building towards where you want to be solid in Championship games and that comes from being set up well.”
In recent weeks it has been confirmed that the energetic Shay Millar and free-taking wing-back Anthony Doherty had both relocated Down Under and would be unavailable to the Mournemen for the 2019 campaign – with Burren full-back Gerard McGovern also remaining in Australia having opted off the panel earlier this year.
However, there has been speculation that Kilcoo brothers Daryl and Aaron Branagan could join club-mates Ryan and Jerome Johnson, Paul Devlin and Niall Kane in the panel.
