The coming weekend is the last weekend of competition for our football Model Academy Squads for 2023.
The Model Academy, sponsored by Whizzy Internet, is the platform where emerging players and coaches in Wexford are challenged and tested. The vision is to develop players to play senior hurling and football for Wexford and to develop coaches to prepare teams at the highest level.
The Model Academy is designed around the Talent phase of the Gaelic Games Player Pathway and is underpinned by three guiding principles:
- Player Centred
- Quality Coaching Experiences (for both player and coach)
- Club is Key
U14 Football Model Academy Squad
Mentors: David Currid (Bannow-Ballymitty), Mick O’Brien (St. John’s Volunteers), Pat Doyle (St. Abban’s Adamstown), Tom Wall (Starlights)
The U14 Football Model Academy Squad has 45 players where the focus is on enhancing the technical skills of the players while also growing their understanding of the game. The Squad has trained diligently for many months and played multiple challenge matches throughout the year in preparation for the Jim Power Cup at the end of the season.
From a competition perspective, two teams were entered in the Jim Power Cup and the teams selected on a North / South basis. Both teams have topped their respective groups against Carlow, Clare, Tipperary, Waterford and Wicklow, qualifying for the Finals Day on Saturday next, 12 August 2023. The teams play Wicklow and Clare respectively in the quarter finals and advance to the semi finals and final on the same day should they win.
The Squad is as follows:
| Oisín Whelan (St. Brigid’s Blackwater | Paddy Mernagh (St. Martin’s) |
| Andrew Browne (Marshalstown-Castledockrell) | Jack Doyle (Duffry Rovers) |
| Cillian McAuley (St. John’s Volunteers) | Sam Sheehan (HWH Bunclody) |
| David Brophy (Glynn-Barntown) | Paddy O’Neill (Kilrush) |
| TJ Currid (Bannow-Ballymitty) | Jamie Downey (Oylegate-Glenbrien) |
| Eoghan Doyle (Bannow-Ballymitty) | Scott Sinnott (St. Abban’s Adamstown) |
| Eoin Cahill (Horeswood) | Jacob Madden (St. Brigid’s Blackwater) |
| Darren Roche (Kilmore) | Jamie Walsh (Gusserane O’Rahilly’s) |
| Sean Hennessy (St. John’s Volunteers) | Bobby Murray (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown) |
| Cian Gordon (St. John’s Volunteers) | John Donohue (St. Anne’s Rathangan) |
| Brendan Noctor (Castletown) | Conor Newport (St. Fintan’s) |
| Cormac Doyle (Castletown) | Sean O’Brien (St. John’s Volunteers) |
| Enda Byrne (Ferns St. Aidans) | Conor Kehoe (HWH Bunclody) |
| Michael Kehoe (Marshalstown-Castledockrell) | Rory Dee (Kilrush) |
| Alfie Murphy (Oylegate-Glenbrien) | Donncha O’Hanlon (Monageer-Boolavogue) |
| Conor Kehoe (Horeswood) | Aaron Hourihan (Naomh Éanna) |
| Patrick Tyrrell (Cloughbawn) | Bobby Murray (Ferns St. Aidans) |
| James Wall (Ballyhogue) | Eoghan McGlanaghey (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown) |
| Sean Kavanagh (Ballyhogue) | Tommy Byrne (Gusserane O’Rahilly’s) |
| Pearce Somers (Kilanerin) | James Forde (Kilanerin) |
| Sean Doyle (St. Abban’s Adamstown) | Finn O’Brien (Oylegate-Glenbrien) |
| Jack Cullen (St. Mogue’s Fethard) | Owen Cloney (Duffry Rovers) |
| Ian O’Reilly (St. John’s Volunteers) |
U15 Football Model Academy Squad
Mentors: Al Monahan (Shelmaliers), Colm Moriarty (Ballyhogue), John Kavanagh (Kilrush), Shane Murphy (Starlights)
There are 45 players on the U15 Football Model Academy Squad. Following on from their success in the Jim Power Cup last year, the focus this year was to improve their game sense, tactical prowess and develop principles of play. The Squad has put in a huge effort again this year with massive numbers at training each week.
From a competition perspective, the Squad played in the Dermot Earley Tournament and was divided into two equal-ability teams. During the season, they had some brilliant victories over Limerick, Tipperary and Cork. One team qualified for the Cup Semi-Final but, unfortunately, came up against a phenomenal Armagh side on the day.
The Squad is as follows:
| Kyle Murphy (Geraldine O’Hanrahan’s) | Max Beary (Shelmalier) |
| Max Monahan (Shelmaliers) | Rian Bracken (Glynn-Barntown) |
| Cian Jordan (Duffry Rovers) | Nathan Doyle (Ballyhogue) |
| James Killeen (Davidstown-Courtnacuddy) | Jack Swan (St. John’s Volunteers) |
| Conor Rochford (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown) | Sean Óg Murphy (Clongeen) |
| Daniel Higgins (Kilanerin) | Ryan Wycherley (Crossabeg/Ballymurn) |
| Dylan Barrett (Horeswood) | Conor Shortall (St. Joseph’s) |
| Jamie Martin (Shelmaliers) | Niall Kavanagh (Castletown) |
| Kian Murphy (Starlights) | Cian Keating (Castletown) |
| Sam Kirwan (Ballyhogue) | Alex Kavanagh (Kilrush) |
| Mark O’Donnell (Castletown) | Conn Fraser (Ballyhogue) |
| Kerim Fullam (Naomh Éanna) | Liam Murphy (Gusserane O’Rahilly’s) |
| Rory Ahern (Castletown) | Jack Browne (Glynn-Barntown) |
| Ethan Devereux (St. Martin’s) | Lee Whitty (Gusserane O’Rahilly’s) |
| Tom Dunne (Davidstown-Courtnacuddy) | Darragh Sinnott (St. Abban’s Adamstown) |
| Cathal Ennis (Ballyhogue) | Noah Byrne (St. Patrick’s) |
| Dylan Farrell (Starlights) | Alex Devereux (St. Patrick’s) |
| Patrick Dunleavy (St. Abban’s Adamstown) | Ronan McGrath (Shamrocks) |
| Cian Lehane (St. Mary’s Maudlintown) | Tiarnan Quill (Shelmalier) |
| Oisín Reagan (HWH Bunclody) | Billy Cunningham (St. Anne’s Rathangan) |
| Cathal Fitzpatrick (Kilanerin) | Brian Ivers (Marshalstown-Castledockrell) |
| Oisín Fenlon (Marshalstown-Castledockrell) | Andrew Kelly (St. Mary’s Maudlintown) |
| Cian Nolan (Shelmalier) |
U16 Football Model Academy Squad
Mentors: Kevin Morris (Castletown), Paul Nugent (Castletown), Eoin Doyle (Taghmon-Camross)
The U16 Football Model Academy Squad has 34 players. This group reached the final of the Dermot Earley Tournament last year at U15. Their key focus areas for 2023 were physical conditioning (with an eye to preparation for Minor for 2024), game plan development and set plays.
There was one team entered in the Fr. Manning Cup this year. The season started brightly with comfortable victories over Carlow, Waterford and Wicklow in the group stage. They qualified for the semi-final against Longford, but things did not go according to plan on the day and Longford turned us over. The result was disappointing, but this group has reacted positively. Their attention is now on starting preparations towards Minor for 2024.
The Squad is as follows:
| Arron Cunniffe (Monageer-Boolavogue) | Eoin Reeves (Sarsfields) |
| John Gallagher (St. John’s Volunteers) | Ben Furlong (Kilanerin) |
| Diarmuid Brady (Castletown) | Cormac Kinsella (St. Patrick’s) |
| James Rothwell (HWH Bunclody) | Abram O’Neill (Monageer-Boolavogue) |
| Aaron Gethings (Kilanerin) | Dylan Hayes (Bannow-Ballymitty) |
| Aedán Rossiter (Monageer-Boolavogue) | Ian Noctor (Castletown) |
| Adam Furlong (St. Patrick’s) | Luke Holman (St. Mary’s Rosslare) |
| Alex Carton (St. Patrick’s) | Sean Fitzharris (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown) |
| Rory Goff (Glynn-Barntown) | Darragh Forde (Kilanerin) |
| Jamie Moran (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown) | Cathal Power (Duffry Rovers) |
| Kieran Kelly (Taghmon-Camross) | Jack Conneely (Glynn-Barntown) |
| Kian Steadmond (Naomh Éanna) | Eoin Hughes (Kilanerin) |
| Sean Duggan (St. Martin’s) | Rory Cooper (Kilanerin) |
| Tadhg Doyle (Ballyhogue) | Tom Funge (Naomh Éanna) |
| Noah James (St. Patrick’s) | Darren Rossiter (Gusserane O’Rahilly’s) |
| Jack Kehoe (Castletown) | Ryan Donohue (Starlights) |
| Odhrán Morris (Castletown) | Jack Gethings (Kilanerin) |
