Thrusting a player into the breach to start a Championship game who hasn’t experienced a minute of league football is the latest indicator of the wider goalkeeper issues facing Dublin.
Ballyboden’s Hugh O’Sullivan (22) is a name that’s not familiar to many outside the capital - and indeed inside the capital.
O’Sullivan’s debut at the weekend was also a symptom of where the Leinster Championship lies. Better to test a relative rookie in a provincial quarter-final than in Division 1 of the League.
Dessie Farrell said afterwards that Stephen Cluxton was due to play the League game against Tyrone but picked up an injury, which again ruled him out at the weekend.
At 43, those knocks are likely to become more frequent, and the man who many viewed as his natural successor, Evan Comerford also has a history of serious injury problems.
Comerford was the first choice keeper for the 2021 and 2022 All-Ireland campaigns before the six time All-Ireland winning skipper returned to the fray in 2023 to take over again.
The GAA altered one of their rules because Comerford shook a post for Sean O’Shea’s late winning free in the 2022 All-Ireland semi-final, but Dublin - down a raft of players that year - didn’t win the Sam Maguire without Cluxton.
Regardless of the detail, that, predictably, became the narrative. Last year Na Fianna’s David O’Hanlon showed plenty of promise in the League, but he’s not involved this season.
O’Sullivan is the second goalkeeper parachuted into the Dublin team this year after St. Brigid’s Gavin Sheridan.
That appeared to be a reaction to the new rules with Sheridan sprinting around up front and pulling the opposition sweeper away to create scores for others.
The GAA rule tweak that got rid of the 12 v 11 - and effectively pinned most goalkeepers back - was a win for Dublin and Cluxton and the same for Shaun Patton and Donegal.
But, ultimately, the acid test of the modern day goalie boils down to one thing, and one thing only - can he nail a kickout in the dying seconds of a tight knockout championship game when the ball has to be retained?
Dublin have an issue with that. If the goalie hasn’t done it at this level before, you don’t know if he can do it.
They know Cluxton can - and he’s proven that over and over again - but will he be fit for the summer ahead.
Against Mayo last year he performed well, but it looked like he’d lost a percentage or two of distance and power in his kickout - and that’s all it takes at this level. But, if he’s not there, Dublin have an issue.
It’s an issue that most of the top teams don’t have. Shane Ryan (Kerry), Blaine Hughes (Armagh), Niall Morgan (Tyrone), Shaun Patton (Donegal) and Rory Beggan (Monaghan) are among the keepers who have proven themselves in those clutch moments. You’d want any of those on your side.
Chopping and changing goalkeepers the way Dublin are is not ideal. It’s not a position you want to be still messing about with in April or Mayo.
Derry tried something similar to Dublin this year, drafting in a more mobile outfield player in Neil McNicholl, but they’ve ended up in a pickle with Odran Lynch first left out and now injured.
They ended up drafing in Ballinderry’s Ben McKinless and starting him in a league game before returning to McNicholl for the Donegal Championship tie.
It was another issue on top of a long list that they could have done without. Dublin are not in that much bother, but it’s certainly not plain sailing either with a Leinster semi-final against Meath to come in a fortnight.
Comerford did the warm-up in Aughim last Sunday, but O’Sullivan started and after a shaky few opening restarts against Wicklow, he steadied up.
Croke Park for the bigger games brings more space to get your kicks away, but it also brings more pressure too. The demands of the position are intense. One botched short kickout can cost you a game.
Lose two or three in a row against the breeze and two or three two pointers could be kicked back over your head - and you’re the fall guy. Experience - and lots of it - is required.
Monaghan’s attempts to replace NFL hopeful Rory Beggan last year didn’t really work and was certainly one factor in a season that never got off the ground.
Donegal would have been nervously looking at Shaun Patton going down injured against Derry, although their number two Gavin Mulready has a massive boot on him as well. He just doesn’t have the experience Patton has.
Mayo and Galway will believe that Colm Reape and Conor Gleeson are very nearly there and have loads of big game experience banked at this stage.
An injury to either of them though would possibly be fatal to their county’s chances this summer.
Armagh are a county that seem to have a lot of important boxes ticked in terms of their squad in general, and are the only side with two proven top level goalkeepers in Blaine Hughes and Ethan Rafferty.
If Hughes could attack like Rafferty and Rafferty could kick the ball out like Hughes they’d have the perfect keeper. Tyrone have the nearest thing to that perfect hybrid model in Niall Morgan.
The evidence so far this season suggests Cluxton is still the calming presence Dublin need, but the longer term picture is clouded with uncertainty.
Following in his footsteps is perhaps the toughest playing gig in the GAA as Comerford has already found out. Any little mistakes are analysed and Cluxton’s name will continue to come up.
It will be telling if it’s O’Sullivan, Comerford or Cluxton who starts against the Meath at Portlaoise.
It’s certainly an area Robbie Brennan and co will go after and something others will look at closely as the action hots up over the coming months.
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