Michael Dufficy is bucking a long standing trend. The Australian born son of Irish emigrant parents, he grew up playing Aussie Rules football and was fairly good at it to the extent that he lined out for the Northern Blues, a feeder team of the Carlton Blues AFL team. However, when the 'clarion call' of Roscommon senior football manager John Evans reached Melbourne, Dufficy, 24, decided he would answer.
Michael's father Ollie is an ardent Roscommon football man, and although his son took quite a liking to Aussie Rules, he never went too far from his GAA roots. According to the Roscommon Herald, that has been displayed to the fullest after John Evans went looking for new talent anywhere he could find it.
I sent out a clarion call to other counties to see if there were any other Roscommon players out there. That call also went out to London, New York and Australia. Michael sent me a couple of DVDs of himself. He looked extraordinary. He’s shown up to be wonderful in training. He’s an absolute example to the lads.
Dufficy even had a taste of competitive action this weekend after he was given a 20 minute run out against Sligo IT in the FBD League. While the door remains very much open for Dufficy, Evans told the Examiner that his lack of gaelic football experience could hamper him, even if his fitness and natural ability make him an interesting prospect.
What his capacity is I just couldn’t answer yet. It would be unfair to quantify. At different times we think he is not going to make it. Next thing he goes through a week where he blows you away and you think ‘God where has that come from’.
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