'I'd have taken my jersey off and thrown it at Rock'
September 29, 2017
Dublin's Philly McMahon at the launch of the second National Fitness Day.
©INPHO/Tommy Dickson.
Philly McMahon has no issue with Lee Keegan for throwing his GPS device at Dean Rock as he was about the kick the winning free in the All-Ireland football final, insisting that cynicism is part and parcel of the game.
Other examples of cynical play included Ciaran Kilkenny dragging down an opponent, for which he received a black card, while Cormac Costello interfered with Mayo goalkeeper David Clarke's kicking tees.
"You're never going to get rid of cynical play. A player is going to do absolutely whatever he can - I would have taken off my jersey and thrown it at Dean Rock, to put him off,"the Dublin corner back said at yesterday's launch of the second National Fitness Day.
"So this is the game. I am going to do what I can to win. Now, if it affects the team negatively and the result negatively, then it's the wrong decision. But that's what you're planning to do. There's always the opportunity to be negative.
"And that's why lads probably did it in the last 10 minutes because they saw the opportunity in something negative they were doing.
"Where do you draw the line? The referee sending you off, you know you've crossed the line then, and then you look back and you say. 'Jesus, was that the right decision', and how did it affect my team?"
McMahon feels a win at all costs attitude has always existed in the GAA.
"I grew up watching Gaelic football that was much tougher than it is today, so what example did they set?
"Some of the tackles that you can watch back in games, I love them! You don't have them anymore, so does it really have an impact?
"It's all well and good saying there's certain things you shouldn't be doing and that's fine, I agree with that, but the players that came before us, it was a much rougher sport. Does that make us a rougher team? Probably not."
