Donnelly: I'm a lucky man

November 04, 2016

Tyrone's Mattie Donnelly.
©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan.

Mattie Donnelly considers himself 'lucky' to have won back-to-back football All Stars.

The Trillick clubman will be joined on the stage at tonight's awards ceremony in Dublin's Convention Centre by his Tyrone team-mate Peter Harte after a successful season for the Red Hands.

"I'm delighted, of course, and I was glad Petey got one," Donnelly told the Irish News.

"I could easily have been sitting with none - I'm just lucky, both years were close calls. In midfield, if Gary Brennan Peter Acheson, Paul Conroy or Collie (Cavanagh) had got it, you wouldn't have batted an eyelid. It's always nice to be recognised, but I wouldn't set out to get them (awards) because if someone decided I wasn't in the team, it wouldn't mean I had a bad season.

"My performance levels were a lot more clearcut and consistent than last year. I had a very poor league last year and had a slow start to the championship, but I kind of came into it then when the sun came out.

"But I was more consistent this year - I was happier with my performances."


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