Galway defender Bradshaw leaves senior football panel

John McIntyre

GARETH Bradshaw has pulled out of the Galway panel ahead of the opening round of All-Ireland football qualifiers later this month.

Bradshaw would have missed that game anyway after being dismissed in their heavy first round Connacht championship loss to Mayo at Pearse Stadium, but his decision to take a break has still come as a surprise.

Just a week after that loss to the provincial champions, Bradshaw suffered the ignominy of being red carded for the second time in seven days when lining out for his club in the county championship against Kilconly.

He actually captained the Tribesmen in their Connacht quarter-final against Mayo in the absence of Finian Hanley, who was ruled out of that match with a shoulder injury.

Bradshaw is one of the more experienced members of the Galway squad and, at his best, was highly regarded as an attacking wing back who had the ability to deliver timely scores

But the Moycullen clubman’s form has slumped somewhat over the past 18 months and his morale would clearly have been impacted by his double sending off.

The Galway panel has already regrouped for the qualifiers and, it is understood, the players are desperately keen to show themselves in a far more positive light after coming in for severe criticism in the wake of the hiding by Mayo.