After a week in which he scored some cracking points, and saw his first son born, Donegal’s Colm McFadden deserves the nod.
In the tight, claustrophobic confines of Kingspan Breffni Park Park yesterday, space was more valuable than gold. With the Down defence doing a very good impression of the Donegal defence, it was never going to be an easy day for forwards, especially in open play.
But 30-year-old Colm McFadden made it look easy. That’s what he does. With a style of play that makes it look like he has all the time in the world, McFadden slotted over some beautiful left-footed points yesterday, points that ultimately helped Donegal through to yet another Ulster final.
Now on the inter-county scene for over a decade, the early years of his career saw Donegal reach All-Ireland quarter-finals and semi-finals but as Donegal lost their way in the mid-to-late-2000s McFadden’s name, and considerable skills, slipped from the national consciousness.
A National League title in 2007 was a highlight but managerial upheaval in the county saw Donegal fail to capitalize on that platform.
McFadden was always a regular scorer (he top scored for the team in 2004 and 2005) but success for the team evaded him, until a man he had played with, a man very close to him, took the helm.
Jim McGuinness’s wife is McFadden’s sister, so it is no surprise that the Naomh Mícheál club man has thrived under his reign. With an increased focus on defence under McGuinness, his system depended on the likes of McFadden and Michael Murphy to make maximum use of limited ball when they weren’t helping stop the opposition. Despite his languid style, McFadden is far from lazy and he fits the McGuinness template perfectly.
In the first year under McGuinness (2011) McFadden top scored with 1-16 but ultimately they would fall short at the hands of eventual champs Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-finals.
It was in 2012 that Donegal, and McFadden, really stepped it up. He landed 0-6 in the Ulster final, 1-5 against Kerry, 0-5 against Cork and 1-4 in the All-Ireland final against Mayo. Deadly from place balls as well as open play, McFadden racked up 4-32 in the 2012 Championship and ended the year an All-Ireland champion, an All-Star and possibly a little unlucky not to win Footballer of the Year too.
The 2013 Championship is so far following the same template. He bagged 1-3 as Tyrone were dismissed and last weekend against Down he scored 0-5 with some spectacular points under intense pressure.
It capped a brilliant week for McFadden as he and his wife Levina welcomed their first son Matthew into the world on Wednesday, a brother for Maisie, who was born last year.
It sounds like life is pretty good for McFadden now, and he plays with a freedom and style that reflects that. If Donegal are going to retain Sam, McFadden, and his unerring eye for goal, may well be the key.
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