WITH THE DONEGAL-DERRY VIPERS opening their IAFL season against the Razorbacks on Sunday, running-back Dermot Brown brings us through the journey to date.
It was this time 12 months ago that the Vipers eagerly anticipated playing their first ever game of American Football. We were naive, eager and somewhat mediocre in our individual preparations for playing a sport as violent and demanding as this.
It was almost a ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ situation when the starting whistle went. It was all brought crashing down to earth when they lost two of their main players to season ending injuries in the first half. The advice stressed on player safety was, unfortunately, not adhered to enough which led to players getting injured in the process.
But with that negativity now said and done, lessons where learned whole-heartedly and they managed to turn it around by the end of the season, they took the hits, drilled and even dished out some Viper hurt of their own!
This year the expectation set on every Viper’s shoulders weighs a bit more heavy indeed. The team now have separate coaches for Offense and Defense which has allowed them to delve deeper into this sport and its workings and try to perfect the little things that turn a three-yard catch turn into a 50-yard reception and run, it is now expected of the Vipers to dominate on both sides of the ball this year.
They have drafted in some new faces who are still learning the game and, as thus, can be pardoned for the mistakes here and there, but hopefully these will be minimal and the team as a whole can make gains from the previous seasons mishaps.
The team this year has a core of veterans tasked with the job of inducting rookies into playing a game way out of most peoples comfort zone. They have addressed holes on both sides of the ball, mainly at Tight End and outside Linebacker. They have had players join from other teams who, not that long ago, went on an unbeaten run for over a year of balling.
The tryouts for the Donegal-Derry Vipers. Photos: Dean Cullen
The Vipers have competed in a preseason friendly against a team two divisions above us and learned a lot from it, this has both vets and rookies chomping at the bit for game time and the competition has been stiff for starting spots.
With the wealth of experience in this team and the lessons learned from last season, everything from getting beat 72-0 in our first game to winning in Galway to close the season, heads will be turned in their direction this year, they are now the noisiest team in the Northwest and proud to call themselves it too.
The victory in Galway spoke in heightened emotions for them last year and fortunately for the Vipers this occasion galvanised more support for them from the wider Derry and Donegal areas.
Tryouts were held, players tested in speed and endurance and the best have been handpicked to play from the team this season and hopefully many more.
First of all, as both a player in this team and the author of this piece I have to be subjective for a moment here – It has to be said that watching new guys come down, thinking they’ve missed their chance because they slept in or the motor wouldn’t start, watching them go out there and just go for it and make it their own, was very humbling for me, it gave me incentive to do what I can to help that person become a team mate in this most arduous of team sports.
Its surprising the pull of this sport now in a landscape dominated by soccer, rugby and GAA. Anyway as I was saying: ‘Attracting new players and teams to this sport has been happening all over our country and in the last year the IAFA has inducted new teams into the fold, two of which the Vipers will face off against this season.’
The aims for the 2016 season should be simple, play a direct style of football brought on by drilling techniques and tackling form, D-Line and O-Line communication and dominating at the line of scrimmage.
The Vipers are a smaller team, but the experience, talent and audacity to think outside the box is something to be feared. Having a new look front four on defense and the knowledge brought from the forward-thinking Kyle Mc Ananey a veteran of both The Craigavon Cowboys and Tyrone Titans and Defensive Coach and MLB Paddy Maguire, the Vipers looks set to go out and prove a few people wrong this season.
Results matter in this sport and last season’s 1-5 scoring sheet has to be drastically improved this year if this team is going to take the next step up into IAFL1.
The excitement has reached fever pitch in the Vipers camp. They are eagerly awaiting the release of the depth chart to see who is starting and who will be riding the pine, as for their opponents they must surely be looking forward to this clash just as much.
From their media presence on Facebook things look to be moving along nicely and the team have some big dudes who look more than a handful for any opponent.
It is not just about the big hits in this sport, we fight a war of attrition and its down to the men on the day who stands over the other.
The Vipers will be looking to use their last win in Galway as a springboard for the campaign this season and the Razorback will not only look forward to throwing the proverbial spanner in the works but also putting as many points on the board in this their first game as a recognised team in the IAFL2.
We will all know in six months time where the Vipers and the Razorbacks, as a whole are heading and I for one cant wait!!
Dermot Brown.
The team face off against the Razorbacks on Sunday afternoon at the YMCA Rugby grounds In Derry at 2pm.
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