Mckenna test a big blow: AFL
GAA REVISE PLANS TO GET UP AND RUNNING
Joe Fallon came on that day for a Westmeath side that went on to claim their one and only Leinster title.
Fast forward to the present and Magee and Fallon live close to each other now in Athlone, their kids pals in school.
The old enemies are friends and even allies because Magee, a six-time Leinster medallist, has crossed the divide to work on behalf of Westmeath GAA.
He’s the county’s Games Manager and if he does his job right then Westmeath will be back pushing Dublin hard again in future Leinster Championships.
Magee told Irish Sunday Mirrorsport: “The 2004 game pops up from time to time, you’d get a bit of slagging but not a whole pile. We’re down here about three years now.
“Where we moved in was around Athlone so just by chance really I fell in playing with Athlone GAA and living across from Joe Fallon. His youngest and my eldest are in the same class so it’s mad how it goes, I suppose neither of us would have predicted that scenario in 2004.”
Magee reckons he’s staying in the midlands for good and that’s just as well because he’s got a long-term job of work to get through with Westmeath GAA.
Their aim is to be successful again at senior level but that means building from the ground up – which is where Magee comes in.
Formerly a Games Development Officer in Wicklow and Dublin, he took on the role of Games Development Administrator in Westmeath in 2018 before being upgraded to Games Manager last year.
A decade on from togging out against Tyrone in the 2010 All-ireland return-to-play protocols.
Club games can now be played from July 17, giving county board’s an additional two weeks to run off championships - with 13 weeks now available exclusively to the club game.
Following the GAA’S Covid-19 quarter-finals, his championship this summer is the local cul camps.
It’s a big operation to oversee, 22 separate camps catering for, on average, 100 kids at each.
Because of the Covid-19 situation, nothing about it is straightforward for organisers.
Ex-wicklow selector Magee smiled: “It’s a different challenge to playing for Dublin or the club. At least if you’re playing a match you can prepare and you have a fair idea who you’re coming up against.
“What we have at the moment in sport is goalposts that are constantly shifting so you’re looking for flexibility advisory group meeting, there’ll be no changes to inter-county plans for a September 14 return to training and October 17 restart of games.
The move comes after the government also revealed that crowds of 200 can attend outdoor events. It’s hoped that figure will rise to 500 from July and adaptability but our staff have been second to none in fairness.”
Inevitably there’ll be protocols to follow, like how to deal with cut knees and untied bootlaces in a Covid friendly way. And choosing venues that tick all the right boxes.
Magee shrugged: “Kids will be kids and common sense will ultimately prevail. If families are not comfortable sending kids that’s totally understandable. We did have clubs that didn’t want to host Cul Camps this year and that was fine.”
Magee’s long-term task is to take as many of those players as possible through the underage ranks and into 20. However, club plans in the six counties of Northern Ireland will be subject to guidance from the NI Executive.
In a joint-statement, the GAA, Camogie Association and LGFA confirmed a revised set of protocols, including: THIS WEEK: Open pitches for Adult training next Wednesday, the senior game, for club and perhaps county. The former All-ireland club title winner with Kilmacud Crokes said: “I’m passionate about it and in my work I’d be asking clubs, ‘Are you doing everything you can to expose your players to Gaelic games?’
“I’d get them to think about things like, ‘How can we make GAA the number one sport for our players?’
It’s about establishing a culture and broadening the amount of players you’re bringing through and ultimately you’ll end up producing better players at development squad level then and you’ll compete more consistently at senior level.”
June 24. Open for Minor and below from Saturday, June 27. Coaching numbers for underage teams to be consistent with Code of Behaviour.
Allow contact training and challenge games for all from Monday, June 29 (26 Counties). Restriction on participants only attending training sessions to be relaxed from June 29 – subject to government specified maximum of 200 people in the ground. Allow Club Fixtures from Friday July 17. No change to county dates (Sept 14th for training; events to start on Oct 17 as planned).
CONOR MCKENNA’S positive Covid-19 test has rocked Australian Rules football and thrown the season into turmoil.
The Tyrone defender was involved in a full two-hour session on Friday morning with every teammate just minutes before testing positive for the coronavirus.
Pictures from the session showed the former Tyrone minor star coughing and spluttering.
Essendon’s match against Melbourne tomorrow has been postponed and their fixture against Carlton next Saturday is likely to follow suit. At this stage it is unknown how Mckenna caught the virus and if he breached any player protocols.
AFL boss Gillon Mclachlan vowed the 2020 season would continue but could not confirm a return date for Essendon matches.
“If there are multiple players down, it is a challenge for Essendon,” he said.
Mckenna, 24, was set for his first game for 2020 tomorrow after recording seven negative tests – including two in quarantine when he returned from Northern Ireland in late May – but a “low level irregularity” after Friday’s session sparked fears he was infectious. Those fears were realised when he tested positive overnight.
“He [Mckenna] will be now tested at the appropriate time until he is negative.,” Mclachlan said.
“The rest of the group will be tested on Tuesday. The internal advice is that given incubation periods to leave it there.”
The AFL revealed it had stationed cameras at every club for coronavirus tracing purposes.
The AFL, Essendon and Melbourne health authorities will now pour over video footage of Friday’s training session to examine which players were in close proximity to Mckenna and if his saliva made contact with any team-mates.