WHETHER it’s in front of 80,000 baying fans at a packed Croke Park or “Dessie Farrell and his dog”, Michael Darragh Macauley just wants to play.
The Ballyboden clubman, who was a central part of Jim Gavin’s historic five in-a-row-winning Dublin side, has his fingers crossed that the inter-county season gets the green light to begin in October. If and when it does, he wants to be part of it, whether it’s behind closed doors (fans aren’t allowed into games in the Republic at the minute), a limited number of supporters or packed houses.
“I think it’s a no-brainer that we will just play,” said Macauley.
“Obviously I want to be out there in front of 80,000 people. Barring that, I want to be there in front of 40,000 people. Barring that, 20,000.
“Give me 200 people, it will be a novelty. But if that has to be zero, just Dessie Farrell and his dog, that’s what it is.
“From a player’s point of view, I haven’t come across anyone who wants it any other way. Lads are happy to play, everyone I know, club and county have put in a good shift over the last while. Everyone was doing their 5ks and HIIT (high-intensity interval training) sessions.
“Everyone was in the same boat in the country, not just intercounty athletes and it is nice to have a little endgame in sight. Everyone I have talked to just wants to play ball, be it in front of just one man and his dog, or 80,000 people.”
Macauley was hampered by injuries last season and says the lockdown period was “like an extended rehab time for me” and he has emerged fully fit and is enjoying playing with his club. When asked if he was enjoying the concept of a split season - club football followed by inter-county action - he replied: “It has actually been very nice to be honest.
“I think everyone knows as inter-county players that we kind of swan in and swan out and we are kind of there as much we can, but I suppose inter-county takes up so much of your time that realistically you are only giving a smaller percentage of your time to the club.
“So it’s nice just not having the kind of time with inter-county at the moment and we are just giving it socks with the club. I think most lads haven’t experienced that for a long time.
“I suppose when we went on a bit of a run when we got out of Dublin, it would have been the only time I experienced it before. It’s just nice kind of having one focus for the moment and kind of seeing how it goes.”
Macauley says that this year’s club championship is an opportunity for players to put themselves in the “shop window” for new Dublin manager Farrell, successor to Jim Gavin.
“I think it’s nice to kind of get a fresh start,” he said.
“I suppose with everything going to plan, I think lads have a nice opportunity to put themselves in the shop window because it’s going straight from club ball into the championship end of the season with Dublin.
“So I think more so than ever from an inter-county point of view, the club takes high precedence. If you want to be starting with Dublin, you better be running amok with your club.”
AIB’s The Toughest Summer will air on Tuesday, August 25, on RTÉ One at 10.10pm. The documentary will also be available on AIB’s YouTube channel from 1pm on Thursday, August 27 at www.youtube.com/aib.
