GAA nerd Mike Kelly feels that in all the furore about Sean Cavanagh and Mayo's brilliant performance, Eamonn McGee's stamp and sending off is being wrongfully dusted under the carpet.
Almost two weeks ago, following Donegal's six point victory over Laois in Carrick on Shannon the Tir Chonaill manager Jimmy McGuinness claimed he had a "duty of care" for his players. He was afraid that some of his men could be on the receiving end of a serious challenge which could leave a player with a serious neck injury.
Fast forward one week and Eamonn McGee, one of McGuinness's own players, intentionally stamps on the upper back/neck of Mayo's Enda Varley and not one word is said.
McGee, as can clearly be seen during the game and in replays, fully intended on ending Varley's interest in the All-Ireland quarter final. The all-star corner back can be seen hesitating as he tries to jump over the Garrymore player before planting his boot, studs and all, straight down on the player.
The referee, Joe McQuillan, should be praised for the way he let play continue until the ball had gone dead before consulting with his linesman and returning to the scene of the crime where McGee was duly given a straight red card. Had the sending off influenced the result I have no doubt we would be hearing much more about it but Mayo were about 20 points ahead at the time so it was never going to matter if it was still 15 against 15 or not.
What sticks in my craw about this whole thing is that it has just been swept under the rug, mainly because of all the talk over Sean Cavanagh's tackle in the Tyrone-Monaghan match the previous evening. While I agree with the point Joe Brolly was making in that discussion, Cavanagh was in no way being dangerous or reckless whereas McGee was blatantly showing up his manager's words to be nothing more than hollow. McGuinness may claim to have a duty of care for his players but he clearly doesn't give a damn if a serious injury happens to an opponent.
I am not for one second claiming that Jimmy McGuinness does not have a duty of care, everybody involved in the GAA has a duty of care towards protecting the players. I am also not having a go at Donegal just because Mayo gained a measure of revenge over the 2012 champions. I am making the point that intentionally dangerous play took place in Croke Park last Sunday and nobody has spoken out about it. The GAA have said nothing, the Sunday Game made no mention whatsoever of the incident and Jimmy McGuinness did not come out and condemn his player for doing exactly what he claimed was happening to his players only a week before.
Clearly the McGee incident was all the inner turmoil of Donegal's 2013 season coming to the boil but just because the player was completely beaten by the three different players he marked that day does not give him licence to attempt to seriously injure one of those players. You could see from McGee's reaction to the red card that he knew it was justified by the referee but immediately following the foul the corner back acted like he had done nothing and probably thought he had gotten away with it when play continued.
This was nothing more than cowardly behaviour by a player well known for his physicality. It almost summed up the image many people had built in their own minds of Donegal in the week leading up to the game, that they loved to dish it out but couldn't take it when thrown back at them. McGee, in this writers opinion, should be made an example of by the GAA over the foul and his manager should not defend him. If McGuinness was to turn around now and defend that kind of thuggish behaviour then how hard will the fall be from the high horse he sat on in Carrick on Shannon?
No doubt nothing more will come of this and McGee will get the usual four to eight week ban in a period of the season where he will only miss a few club games. He will not miss any Donegal games, which is how the ban should run. Whatever punishment he is given should not come into effect until next year's championship as the offence took place playing for Donegal, not his local club. But much like the discussion of this topic, that is likely to never happen.
You can follow Mike at @kellymike87.
