The Off The Ball Football Pod revisits the All-Ireland final, where Mayo were 1-5 to a point down before Jack Kearney curled one over and Kerry went on to have five misses in a row.0:35
Andy Moran took Paul Towie off after 24 minutes for Tommy Conroy, which pulled Jason Foley across, freed Ryan O'Donoghue, and led to 19-year-old Dara Byrne's free to make it 1-6 to six points.1:37
The panel praises the selflessness behind the win: Towie accepting a 25-minute job, Killian and Diarmuid O'Connor in the dressing room, and Stephen Coen removing himself from the squad on the Thursday before the final.5:28
They credit Moran with creating total alignment from supporters, players, squad members and coaches, unlike counties where players who come off are pissed off and it goes sideways.9:44
Tommy describes the homecoming in Castlebar and Westport, and why a win after 75 years of heartbreak transcends the GAA, with former players like Colm Boyle saying it does not erase old defeats but is for the future.14:22
Brief overview
Mayo's All-Ireland win over Kerry came from total squad buy-in that Andy Moran's management created.
A substitution that changed the finalBringing in Tommy Conroy freed Ryan O'Donoghue, and Dara Byrne's free followed 90 seconds later.
Selfless roles made the squad workPaul Towie, Aidan O'Shea and Killian O'Connor put the team ahead of game time.
The win transcends Gaelic footballAfter 75 years and many lost finals, the panel says Mayo's win lived up to the hype.
Questions this recording answers
4 questions, each answered where it is said
Why did Andy Moran take Paul Towie off after 24 minutes?
Towie was given a 25 to 30 minute job to win breaks and be a link man. When Tommy Conroy came on, Kerry put Jason Foley on him, which left Ryan O'Donoghue essentially a free man, and Conroy was fouled for Dara Byrne's free 90 seconds later.
Answered around 2:30What did Stephen Coen do before the All-Ireland final?
Knowing his knee would not let him give what he wanted to give, Stephen Coen told the Mayo management on the Thursday before the final that he was out. He could have taken a place on the bench, but removed himself so they could make a switch.
Answered around 8:53How does the panel explain Mayo's team culture?
They say the environment is controlled by the man at the top, and Andy Moran believed they could win the All-Ireland when no one else did. Legendary players accepted small roles with total buy-in, and supporters, players, squad and coaches were in total alignment.
Answered around 9:44Why does Mayo's win mean so much beyond the GAA?
After 75 years, and particularly the last 20 to 25 years of losing finals and finding new ways to lose, the panel calls it Hollywood stuff. People with no interest in Gaelic football know Mayo won, and the win lived up to everything people thought it would be.
Answered around 20:27
Key Quote
“Ryan O'Donoghue is an absolute winner and a warrior.”