Faithfully wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 12:08 pm
Cillian Bourke invited to the AFL Grand Final in Australia in a couple of weeks time and will take part in the combine after that. Always thought he would be looked at by the Australians, interesting to see if he misses any of the club season.
He did a combine in Dublin and placed 3rd overall. Not sure what attributes are needed for AFL exactly but he's simply outrageous in the air in both football and football.
Football twice? Aussie plus GAA?
Hurling and football*
He also played a fait bit of rugby. I recall him saying that was actually his first choice sport at one point.
He's a completely different profile of player to an Oisin mullin who's the most recent example of GAA player making it in the AFL
How do we think the football championships are shaping up lads?
Senior Football 1/4:
Rhode v Bracknagh : you'd imagine Rhode will have too much guile for Bracknagh here Rhode by 6-10 points
Ferbane V Shamrocks : Ferbane that bit stronger but Shamrocks can be tricky , Ferbane by 3-5 points
Inter Semis :
St Brigids v Ferbane : tough one to call this, Ferbane with a couple of lads that probably should be playing senior, but the Croghan boys are always a dogged team to get over, could be a draw and anybodys game after that.
Tullamore v Raheen : Is Hyland Suspended, if so Tullamore will probably get over the line then by 5+
Junior Semis :
Clodiagh Geals v Doon: tough to call after Doon's last performance again Clara, Geals seem to be that bit stronger and with no hurling thier end now i'm sure there going full tilt for this championship, Clodiagh by 3-5 points
Rhode v Erin Rovers : another tough one to call , depends on what Rhode's second string has available to them, but Erin Rovers are always hard beat and when their tails are up they do go for the jugular , Rovers by 2-3 points.
Ferbane should have too much for shamrocks but expect it to be close for 45 mins. Shamrocks need a reaction after Tullamore performance and losing hurling last week
Rhode will hammer Bracknagh by 10+ Bracknagh have met their target for the year by beating Clonbullogue they never fair well against the big teams especially in OCP.
Tullamore will comfortably beat Raheen minus hyland and Conor Carroll
Ferbane and Brigids will be tight only 2 points between them in group stages but expect Ferbane to lose a few players since then they are very well set up for an intermediate team but expect brigids to edge it by a few points
They were remarkably poor for 55 minutes and fully deserved to be knocked out but a Shamrocks selector causing a schemozzle on the sideline turned the tide in Ferbane’s favour.
Shamrocks can only have themselves to blame.
Despite not playing well all year Ferbane now find themselves in a 50-50 shootout to make the final.
One would expect Tullamore to take care of Rhode although they haven’t been tested all year.
Tullamore vs St Brigids in intermediate final. I'd be shocked if Tullamore don't win.
Ferbane won today despite doing their best to let Shamrocks win. There's still time for them to come into real form for the semi and final. Hard to call the semi between them and Edenderry. Expect Tullamore to beat a Rhode team that simply isn't the same Rhode team as years gone by.
Was away all weekend and only caught updates online, one of Offaly papers online had final score up but mentioned some score or other that was debateable happened early enough in game..heard little or nothing from anyone at the game...talking to 2 people and they said one score was debatable, but every second game will have one of them, issue is I suppose if you lose by a single score...depends on who your talking to I suppose..
To clarify; In the 6th minute Adam Egan took a shot from inside the arc but was awarded a two-pointer.
It seemed pretty clear that he was inside to people in the stands but neither the ref, linesman, either umpire nor Shamrocks players raised any hackles at the time.
To use this as a reason they went on to lose is rather silly.
They led by 4 points with 5 minutes remaining and managed to throw it away and should be more angered by the ill-discipline of their selector than the referee.
The shamrocks coach who I won’t name essentially cost his team that game by tackling a Ferbane players trying to take a quick free which is totally unacceptable. What happened to the rule where it’s only the manager and physio allowed on the sideline in OCP? Things get very messy when there’s so many people around and that rule removes incidents like this. If I was shamrocks I’d be pointing the finger at him who cost his team a 2 point free at a crucial stage and riled up Ferbane. If they look for a replay 1. It’s going to look like sour grapes and 2. It will be rejected anyway Croke park have rejected lots of appeals since that Fermanagh league final was replayed. Rule book states you can’t replay a game for a score that was or wasn’t given its as simple as that
It was a great game of football, really intense high quality stuff. I wouldn't be pointing the finger at anyone to be honest, in games like this there is a million different things that decide an outcome. I thinks its completely unfair and inaccurate to single any individual out. Two teams went toe to toe in an epic, ferbane won so lets all forget appeals regarding 2 pionters, forget blaming sidelines etc. Ferbane march on now to play edenderry and this game will bring them on some amount. Ferbane tullamore county final yet again folks!!!!!
Refereeing mistakes are part of Gaelic games. Word today is that Shamrocks won’t be appealing.
If nothing else it puts an end to the conspiracy theories in some parts of Ferbane about refereeing decisions going against them in O’Connor Park.
Busy but exciting few weeks for the dual players in Ferbane Belmont. Could just as easily end up in two county finals as none.
Have to say I have a sneaking suspicion that a Rhode ambush is on the cards in the other semi. They’re much more battle hardened than Tullamore and Hurley looks to be a big addition in midfield.