As close as this Mayo team gets to a veteran, Alan Dillon will be the wise old head of the Connacht champions attack on Sunday, but he answered some tough questions first.
All-Star forward and mainstay of the Mayo forward unit Alan Dillon will be hoping to continue his fine 2013 form into Sunday’s showdown with Dublin.
The Ballintubber man has endured more than his fair share of final misery in his time, so he’ll be hoping to finally get his hands on Sam come Sunday night. But before that, he sat down with the folks at Elverys for a question and answer session, where he talks boots, nicknames and who is Mayo’s own dedicated follower of fashion.
Elverys: Who’s your all time sporting hero and tell us why?
Alan Dillon: There has never been any one stand out player or hero for me. I have liked different ones at different times for different reasons. A few players I always like to talk about or think back to would be Trevor Giles, Maurice Fitzgerald or Darragh O Shea, they weren’t your ordinary players, but men who could do anything with the ball. Any time they had the ball in their hands, you were waiting for things to happen.
Elverys: Your favourite pair of football boots ever and what do you wear now?
Alan Dillon: I’ve always been an Adidas Copa Mundial or World Cups man. No other football boots come close to these bad boys. So comfortable and really enjoy wearing them.
Elverys: Who’s been your toughest opponent on the field so far?
Alan Dillon: I have had my fair share of them. There have been a couple of great defenders out there, past and present, that I have had to mark. In Connaught, Declan Meehan has got to be up there; Marc or Tomas O’Se of Kerry wouldn’t be too far off the mark either.
Elverys: Best Gaelic Football goal or point of all time?
Alan Dillon: Has to be my strike for goal in the 2004 all Ireland final haaa!!! Naahhh, Maurice Fitz’s v Dublin outside of the boot spinner was a special strike.
Elverys: Best sporting occasion you were ever at and why?
Alan Dillon: All Ireland Final day… Nothing else in the world can compare.
Elverys: What’s your nickname and where did it come from? If no who has the best nickname on the panel?
Alan Dillon: No nicknames for me! Best I’ve heard in the squad are Zippy, Mixer, Darby, Enda ‘Bilbo’ Varley, Jason ‘Anaconda’ Gibbons etc etc…haa
Jason ‘Anaconda’ Gibbons…
Elverys: Biggest joker on the panel?
Alan Dillon: Mixer (Mickey Conroy) tells a great story!
Elverys: Who on the Mayo panel should be reported for crimes against fashion and who’s the next Paul Galvin?
Alan_Dillon: Sorry Robert Hennelly it’s got to be you!!
Elverys: Who on the team reckons he’s the biggest hit with the females?
Alan Dillon: Cillian O Connor and Keith Higgins are always ducking and diving, so ya I’m going to pick them.
Elverys: Finally the question of our time, Billy Joe’s Mullet, Ciaran Mc’s cornrows or Aido’s fringe?
Alan Dillon: Aido’s Fringe. As he puts it, it’s “SERIOUS”.
For similar interviews and content check out Elverys Sports Blog.
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