THE GOOSE SEEMEL COOKED ..IT WAS FAR FROM DONE!

Hands ace Donnelly wouldn't 'sink' after hamstring setback

- KARL O'KANE

MATTIE DONNELLY thought his county career was "cooked" after sustaining another serious hamstring injury last year.

But after some careful consideration he decided his race wasn't run and that he would "throw the sink at it".

The Trillick All-Ireland winner sustained the injury in last year's narrow final round, Division One win in Kerry, which ensured Tyrone avoided the drop.

Donnelly admits he was "in a bad place after receiving the news.

Having won everything in the game, the easy call would have been to walk away, but the 32 year old double All-Star believed he still had plenty to contribute. His 2022 county season may have been over, but he was told he could get back again for the club.

Now he's pushed on again and is back for another year with Tyrone. His hard work paid off at the weekend with three points in a fine personal display against Kerry as the Red Hand men hauled themselves off the bottom of Division One.

"The one [hamstring injury] in 2019 was graded a 3C and the one in Killarney last year was a 4C in the same hamstring but different tendon," he explained.

"When I got the phone call at that stage to tell me the scan results, I was in a pretty bad place then in that I thought that was me cooked.

"The words were, 'Your county season's over and you can get back with the club'.

"Once I got a better outlook, did some work and spoke to people about what was possible they gave me a bit of hope. I committed to that. I didn't want to go out like that.