Age is just a number: Football's 30 Club proving doubters wrong

"We're all trying to retire players."

On The Sunday Game, a discussion broke out about the brilliance of Conor McManus who at the age of 35, lit up the championship once again with an excellent cameo against Armagh in the All-Ireland quarter-final and a superb showing against Dublin in the semi-final.

It followed on from the fanfare surrounding Dublin trio Stephen Cluxton (41), Michael Fitzsimons (34) and James McCarthy (33) as they became the first players to ever claim nine All-Ireland men’s titles after Sunday's win over Kerry.

In the immediate aftermath, the R word was thrown at them, as it will be for countless players across the country as the dark nights draw in and another bout of pre-season edges ever closer.

For RTÉ GAA analysts Sean Cavanagh and Cora Staunton, it brings with it a bit of frustration with the pair pointing to McManus as the perfect example of why we maybe shouldn't be so quick to point players towards the exit gate.

"This man defied all the odds. As the season went on he got stronger," said Cavanagh.

"In the GAA, every time someone has a bad game over the age of 30 we’re writing them off to say they’re done. This man stood up.

"He’s coming on 36, but why should he retire? His body’s as strong and he’s still leading the line for that Monaghan team. It’s incredible," he added.

"I think once you reach the age of 30 in the GAA world, we’re all trying to retire players," Staunton opined.

The Mayo legend, who only called time on her AFLW career with the GWS Giants in March, was sitting between Cavanagh, who has recently started to line out for the Tyrone masters, and Lee Keegan – a man Mayo fans would love to see back in the panel.

The conversation was a reminder that players are no longer done for once the