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'Ace up Galway's sleeve' | Donaghy on Jim McGuinness' Tribesmen training

Kieran Donaghy says Jim McGuinness' involvement with the Galway footballers can only be a good th...



'Ace up Galway's sleeve' | Don...
Football

'Ace up Galway's sleeve' | Donaghy on Jim McGuinness' Tribesmen training

Kieran Donaghy says Jim McGuinness' involvement with the Galway footballers can only be a good thing for the Tribesmen, regardless of whether or not it was a one-off.

The 2012 All-Ireland winning former Donegal boss was filmed taking a Galway session at Tuam Stadium over the weekend, with rumours flying over what his role might be.

Galway manager Pádraic Joyce is familiar with the Glenties native, having played alongside McGuinness on Tralee IT's Sigerson Cup winning team back in 1999.

Former Kerry star Donaghy, part of the Kingdom team that beat McGuinness' Donegal in his last game in charge in the 2014 All-Ireland final, says it would be a big boost to have him around the panel.

"I dont know is it a friendly help me out, see if you can spot anything? Is it something that could go on further into the summer? We just don't know.

"Would it be handy for Galway if Jim McGuinness was in on an advisory role for a very short part of the season? Of course it would, absolutely.

"The man's amazing [with] what he can do with a football team, we saw how he turned around Donegal in that period of time.

"The more brilliant minds you can put together... The one brilliant thing Jim Gavin did throughout his Dublin career is he brought in as many brilliant minds as he could to try and help him.

"It's a very smart move by Joycey, even if it's only for one session. If it's a bit more, it can't be anything but good for Galway.

"It's a nice ace up Galway's sleeve if they could get him in in some kind of a role. When you put a defensive mind like him and obviously Pádraic's offensive genius..."

McGuinness has spent time away from the GAA over the past six years, coaching in soccer with Celtic before stints in China and North Carolina.

Donaghy says having a fresh voice in training will be a positive thing for the entire Galway team, as they look to mount a final push for a first National League title since 1981.

"When you're out there training something fresh and something new and a different voice is always good. It's something that nobody is going to be upset about  - they'll know how intelligent and how smart this guy is.

"If he came into the Kerry dressing room tomorrow and I was inside there, I'd be happy about it. I don't think there's going to be an issue.

"If you were a player in that setup, you should be thinking this is something new, it's a different angle on things, a different voice, let's up it a bit.

"If it is something that he's doing a bit more than just that session yesterday, I'd be very excited as a Galway player."

Galway take on Mayo this weekend before finishing out their league campaign against Dublin. Those games precede their opening Connacht championship game against Sligo on November 7th.

Donaghy says there's no reason why they can't be considered challengers for Sam Maguire this year, as they look to bridge a 19-year wait for a senior All-Ireland.

"It's not inconceivable, Galway have shown form over the last number of years. We all questioned what they were at up front, I think Kevin Walsh did a brilliant job organising them, adding a bit of bite to them.

"Jim [McGuinness] did that with Donegal, it was very defensive at the start but eventually he evolved it into something which is where Kevin Walsh maybe was trying to go.

"Joycey has taken over a squad that is in a good position, it's very well set-up defensively, they know what they're about numbers-wise, and it's just to add that bit extra up front. And maybe they're putting their minds together on how they can do that."

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All-ireland Croke Park GAA Galway Galway GAA Jim McGuinness Kerry Kieran Donaghy Tuam Stadium