McDonald steps out of father's shadow into Mayo folklore

If this was his only season of senior inter-county football, then what a season of senior inter-county football Kobe McDonald had.

Éamonn Fitzmaurice and Enda McGinley believe the young Crossmolina phenom has done more than enough to put himself firmly in contention for the Young Player of the Year award.

On a historic afternoon for Mayo football last Sunday, McDonald once again showed why he is among the game's elite even as an 18-year-old.

His performance inspired Mayo to their first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title since 1951, ending a 75-year wait for the Sam Maguire.

Speaking on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, Fitzmaurice hailed McDonald’s remarkable season and his ability to combine inter-county football with the demands of exams.

"It’s incredible to do his Leaving Cert inside in the middle of it and to be training and giving the commitment and it didn’t affect his performance levels," he said.

"For Mayo people, when Kobe gets the ball, the whole Hogan Stand moves with him."

Fitzmaurice pointed to the poignant link between father and son, noting that McDonald's now-famous finger-wag celebration mirrored the one his father produced after kicking Mayo's memorable winning point against Dublin in 2006.

"One thing that I thought was kind of class from the year was the way that Kobe's celebration was the same as his dad's back in the day."

With the All-Ireland title secured, attention now turns to the individual honours. While acknowledging there are several deserving candidates, Fitzmaurice believes that McDonald is firmly in the mix for Young Player of the Year.

"For the Young Player of the Year, it'll probably be between Kobe and Darragh Beirne. One of them might get Young Player of the Year and one of them might get an All-Star and they'll be keeping everyone happy," he said.

Former Tyrone star McGinley was equally complimentary of McDonald’s season, describing the Mayo forward's rise as "quite remarkable".

McGinley admitted that he could not remember many players making such an immediate impact at such a young age.

Recalling McDonald's league debut against Monaghan, McGinley said the Mayo forward was "like a gazelle", making an instant impression after coming off the bench before adding that he "has not taken a backward step since."

McGinley echoed Fitzmaurice's sentiments, backing the talented forward as a leading contender for the Young Player of the Year award.

Speaking on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, McGinley said: "To be known by your first name in a breakout season and to have already lived up to the large shadow that your father casts, is quite remarkable."

McGinley noted that Mayo have come to rely on the teenager in the biggest moments, regularly looking to get the ball into his hands when games are on the line.

The Tyrone man said that McDonald's support network deserves enormous credit for allowing him to flourish, saying that he has been "quietly sheltered" from the spotlight throughout a season in which he balanced senior inter-county football, U20 commitments and the Leaving Certificate.

McDonald will head to Australia next month to start life in the AFL after signing a contract last year as a new St Kilda Category B rookie.

The 18-year-old is due to begin a new chapter in Melbourne in the coming weeks, with his parents also understood to be relocating to Australia.

Among the 82,000 spectators inside Croke Park on Sunday was St Kilda Head of Talent and Acquisition, Graeme Allan, who witnessed Mayo's historic victory over Kerry.

Regarded as one of the most talented Irish prospects ever to sign with an AFL club, McDonald has given Mayo supporters plenty to celebrate before embarking on the next chapter of his career.

While his departure will leave a significant void, his role in ending the county's 75-year wait for Sam Maguire ensures his place in Mayo football folklore long before his journey in Australia has even begun.

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