All-Ireland champions Dublin may have certain advantages over the rest of the country but bespoke meals delivered to players’ homes and match-day expenses for partners are not among them, according to Kevin McManamon.
Population, numerous volunteers willing to join a winning brand, playing the vast majority of their games at home and reduced travelling time for training all go in the advantages column when the reasons for Dublin’s success are being debated.
A rumour about having approved meals home-delivered had been doing the rounds for a while, and a line about players’ partners receiving match-day expenses appeared in the aftermath of Dublin’s comfortable All-Ireland final win over Tyrone last weekend.
Six-time Sam Maguire winner McManamon conceded that Jim Gavin’s side, heavy favourites to complete an unprecedented five-in-a-row, enjoy some natural advantages but denied that the meals and expenses were part of the set-up.
Asked on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport if the players' partners receive match-day expenses, the 31-year-old said: "No, no. What do you mean? Going to the match?
"No, I can hardly get my own expenses never mind girlfriends getting expenses."
The story about the meals was also denied.
"No, that’s one of the good ones, all these stories.
"I remember some dude was starting up a company, a footballer from a different county, and said that we were getting our meals delivered to us and we have our own private chef, it’s nonsense.
"We don’t get the stuff that people say and because we’re winning, stories grow legs."
He added: "Facilities-wise, I’ve heard we’re getting paid coaches that are doing everything for us, which just isn’t the case.
"[It’s] said half of our [back-room] coaches are getting paid, I’d say it’s less than that, I don’t honestly know.
Panel on the way featuring Oisin McConville @wexfordcamogie Ursula Jacob and @kevmc15 of @DubGAAOfficial with Joanne and @sportsdes @RTERadio1 @RTEsport pic.twitter.com/vgsfCGkgVY
— Saturday Sport (@SatSportRTE) September 8, 2018
"Maybe it’s easier to volunteer [for Dublin]. I’m sure if I asked anyone to come in and give Dublin a dig-out in the back-room staff, they’d probably do it [because they’d want to be part of it].
"Facilities-wise we’re probably not way out ahead of anyone; we don’t go on foreign trips.
"Because Dublin is smaller we don’t have to spend a certain amount of time travelling. It probably takes me an hour to get to training.
"I know there are lads who have to get buses to the west, to Galway and Mayo. That’s probably one of the advantages we have, geography.
"I just take [the talk about unfair advantages] on the chin, the volume of them has been turned up the more titles that we win.
"The people who make the argument don’t have the luxury I have, of seeing what actually goes on, seeing the commitment levels, seeing how people dedicate their lives to it.
"Our coaching staff need to gets massive credit that probably [the players] get.
"There are players there that will never be matched, the likes of [Brian] Fenton, [Ciarán] Kilkenny, [Stephen] Cluxton and these guys but I don’t know if we’ll have coaches that will be as astute, as smart, will work as hard ever again.
"I haven’t seen it, and I’m with Dublin about 10 years, seen coaches watch as much tape, or do one to one with players so that’s probably one of our advantages...having the right people in the right places."
McManamon added that he has no intention of quitting with six All-Ireland medals and is determined to break into the starting 15 for the drive for five, having being used a substitute in this campaign.
He said: "I was very disappointed after the final whistle that I didn’t play well but you snap out of it fairly swiftly and started appreciating it.
"I want to play as much as I can, I’m going to have another go at it next year, another kick to try and break into that six forwards."
