Mayo are just one sleep away from the biggest game of their lives in Croke Park as they attempt to dethrone the all-conquering Dublin in search of three All-Ireland titles in a row. 

With that being said, one would suspect a tense mood within the camp of the Connacht side, particularly this past week. With 66 years of hurt on the line, along with the hype surrounding the county’s footballers escalating to new heights each day, one would be forgiven for being under the impression that these Mayo players are a set of nervous wrecks in the build-up to the game.

Well, that appears far from the case.

These boys have been here before, they’ve seen it all, worn the t-shirt. This weekend’s encounter is the second consecutive year in which Stephen Rochford’s side collides with the might of Jim Gavin’s Dubs on the third Sunday of September for Sam Maguire glory.

After the replay loss of 2016 and the years of so-close-but-yet-so-far agony’s of previous season’s, when the men from the West do eventually get overt the line, it will feel all the sweeter. Their persistence to get their hands on Sam Maguire is admirable.

The team took time out of their hectic preparations for the All-Ireland final to compete in an ‘End-Line Challenge’, where the aim of the game is to curl the ball from behind the endline and back around into the goal.

Of course, the game was all in the name of fun. However, it is fair to say some of the more renowned ‘skilful’ and ‘accurate’ players on the panel’s attempts may surprise you, where as members of the full-back line contingent were leading the way. Evan Regan produced the tastiest pick of the bunch, while the bainisteoir also stepped up to give it a go, but the less said about that effort the better…

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Check out the latest episode of The 16th Man, where we preview tomorrow’s All-Ireland final between Mayo and Dublin.

 

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