Late Rules call-up delights McGrath
Just 48 hours before the Ireland squad depart for Australia, Fermanagh footballer Marty McGrath expressed his delight to have received a late call-up to represent his country in the two-Test International Rules series which begins next Friday.
McGrath only learned of his call-up at 3pm on Thursday afternoon, after Dublin's Bernard Brogan was forced to withdraw from the squad due to club commitments.
Brogan's club St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh is set to contest the Dublin SFC final next Thursday.
"Every time you get a chance to represent your country, you'll take it," said McGrath, who last represented Ireland in 2004.
"I was disappointed to be on the standby list but thankfully it's worked out at the minute."
McGrath was one of three Fermanagh players initially called up for the trials, but Ryan McCloskey and Mark Murphy were unsuccessful in their quest to make the final cut.
"I'm disappointed for the couple of other of Fermanagh players that didn't make it but I can't do much about it now really."
The Quinn Group salesman says Gaelic football helped carry him through a cancer scare earlier this year and that he is happy that his rollercoaster year has been extended with an International Rules call-up.
The news just comes a week after his club Ederney gained top flight status next year following their promotion from Division 2 in the Fermanagh Senior Football League.
"The football for me was a welcome distraction at the time, just to keep my mind off it.
"You just have to get on with it, and I'm just happy to be getting on with it at the minute and getting the opportunity to go to the trials and now getting the opportunity to travel with the boys to Australia."
McGrath is pleased to have had the opportunity to work under Meath man Sean Boylan as Ireland manager and also coach Mickey McGurn.
"Sean's brought great enthusiasm to the squad and another Fermanagh man Mickey McGurn has also.
"The training isn't easy. It's very physical but it's enjoyable at the same time. It's something you just have to enjoy when you are there."
McGrath concedes the new rules for the hybrid game have taken a bit of getting used to, and that both teams will be on a learning curve during the series Down Under.
"We'll see how the rules go but everybody is learning. Every time you play the game really you are learning it, so it will be another learning curve in the first Test.
"Hopefully we'll come through and build for the second Test. Every game you are looking to come through and hopefully we'll do that," he added.
Although the new rules have been designed to combat indiscipline which was heavily witnessed during the 2006 games, McGrath believes that the Australians will not be lacking in the physical stakes when the sides meet next Friday at Perth's Subiaco Stadium.
"The Australians are strong. I suppose the main strand that they would have is their physicality and the fact that they are professionals and training every day of the week.
But McGrath adds that both sides are in it for the love of the game.
"They are getting to paid to do what they love, and we are doing it because we love it.
"I suppose it's hard to beat something that you would enjoy and maybe you would have more hunger for it than you are getting any earnings out of it."
