Door is left open for Canavan

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has suggested that Peter Canavan may be available to his team for the defence of next year's All-Ireland. The outstanding forward announced in the aftermath of Sunday's victory he was calling it a day.

"I don't think it's a good time to make decisions like that. I can understand fully. He's got a young family and he's going to be 35 next year. It requires a lot physically to be able to play at that intensity for 70 minutes and maybe at this stage Peter says he's not prepared to do that.

"But maybe when the championship comes around next year and the bug bites he might be influenced into deciding that the announcement wasn't as definitive as it sounded last night. He said that this would be his last year he'd give it a big push. That was all right then. I'll be talking to him anyway."

Canavan's response wasn't promising. "Mickey can do a lot of things but I don't think he can do that," he said.

One player who is staying is Seán Cavanagh, who during the summer was associated with a move to AFL club the Brisbane Lions. Harte, no fan of the Australian game or the international project, was dismissive of the prospect.

"He would know my mind on that. If I had my way he wouldn't even be going on the compromise rules but you have to allow men take that experience if they want. I don't have much time for that hybrid - I won't call it nonsense - game and think that he would be so much better putting all his efforts into Gaelic football."

Harte himself won't be going anywhere. "I'm not burned out. It's hard work and has its ups and downs. It's been difficult at times and rewarding at times. That's what life's like."

The legacy of the late Cormac McAnallen was much spoken about after the match. "This was fulfilment for Cormac McAnallen," said Harte. "We always felt we couldn't speak about it in case it didn't happen but somehow we knew we had to fulfil his wish when he became captain - that he'd won one All-Ireland at 23 and he didn't want it to end like that. He couldn't get another physically in this life but I know that there were another 30 for him yesterday."

He also said that the death of his captain had so affected the team that it was impossible to draw too many conclusions about last year's defence of the county's first All-Ireland won in 2003.

"Last year was a unique year. I often wonder if Cormac hadn't died how would we have handled it. I know we would have handled it much better than we did but whether we'd have been able to bring home the goods I don't know.

"They're so good they can stay with a lot of teams at 75 per cent. But getting that extra 25 is hard when you've the medal in your pocket. It doesn't seem as worth it sometimes. Whether we can find it in 2006, who knows? Ask me next year."