IAFL 1 Bowl Build Up: Interview with Greg Loughran

4 days left until the big game on Sunday, we caught up with senior team Head Coach Greg Loughran to get his views on the season so far:
​
An almost perfect season with the Bowl game to come, what has been the main reason for the success this season?
“We have been able to hold our core of players together and recruited well in the off season. Keeping our core of experienced players together allows us to pick up where we left off last season without having to look at new schemes and bringing in some really talented rookies gives us fresh impetus and shares the load on game day. Our Offensive line has been pretty stable which is a huge advantage and accounts for our ability to keep scoring against strong defences.”

The Cowboys have previously taken on Louth during the regular season, recording a 20-7 win. What are you expecting from the Mavericks on Sunday?
“I don't think that the score fairly reflects our meeting with the Mavericks in May. We dodged a lot of bullets in that they had a number of crucial dropped catches and a score called back. They must be pretty confident following their win against the Vipers but we have been studying and feel confident that we have done our homework and will come out on top.”

Having been beaten at home by a point to the Vipers, the ‘Boys bounced back to force a shutout in a 12-0 win away to the Vipers the week after. Was the loss a wake-up call for the team?
“The Vipers fully deserved their win on the day, we can't take that away from them but I do feel that we were not at our best that day. In the return game we were fully focused on the game and worked hard on ignoring the distractions that hurt us so badly in the first game. I was pretty dismayed that in a Vipers report on the second fixture, they claimed that the highlight of the game was an incident that resulted in one of our players being taken out of the game due to an injury. Not my idea of sportsmanship. Players can get injured in our sport but it is never a highlight nor something to gloat about.”
(Article Referenced: http://www.donegaldaily.com/2017/07/19/picture-special-all-not-lost-for-donegal-derry-vipers-despite-home-game-loss/)

There has been a 4 week gap between the playoff game and the Bowl game, has this been advantageous for the team?
“Such a long gap between games has its benefits and problems. The break gives players time to recover and heal up, especially as we had two tough games so close together before the break. However we had developed strong focus on winning the previous two games and this will have to be rediscovered for the bowl game if we are to win.”

Finally, what advice do you have for the players taking to the field on Sunday?
“I will tell everyone not to be complacent. This is a bowl game and anything can happen.
We are capable of winning this game but we have to prove it.”