# 2012 Donegal county football team season

The following is a summary of Donegal county football team's 2012 season. It was the franchise's 108th season since the County Board's foundation in 1905. The team ended the season as All-Ireland champions after winning Sam Maguire MMXII.
Jim McGuinness returned for his second season as the team's manager. Pioneer of the game's revolutionary tactic The System, he entered the season having won the 2011 Ulster Senior Football Championship in his first season at the helm. Consecutive Ulster titles were a possibility, a first in team history, and the 2012 Ulster Senior Football Championship duly followed. McGuinness then became only the second manager, after Brian McEniff at the helm of the fabled Sam MCMXCII side, to lead Donegal to the All-Ireland title.

## Panel

↑ Team as per Donegal v Mayo in the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final on 23 September 2012
| No. | Player | Position | Club |
| 1 | Paul Durcan | Goalkeeper | The Four Masters |
| 2 | Paddy McGrath | Right corner back | Ard an Rátha |
| 3 | Neil McGee | Full back | Gaoth Dobhair |
| 4 | Frank McGlynn | Left corner back | Glenfin |
| 5 | Eamon McGee | Right half back | Gaoth Dobhair |
| 6 | Karl Lacey | Centre back | The Four Masters |
| 7 | Anthony Thompson | Left half back | Naomh Conaill |
| 8 | Neil Gallagher | Midfield | Glenswilly |
| 9 | Rory Kavanagh | Midfield | St Eunan's |
| 10 | Ryan Bradley | Right half forward | Buncrana |
| 11 | Leo McLoone | Centre forward | Naomh Conaill |
| 12 | Mark McHugh | Left half forward | Cill Chartha |
| 13 | Patrick McBrearty | Right corner forward | Cill Chartha |
| 14 | Michael Murphy (c) | Full forward | Glenswilly |
| 15 | Colm McFadden | Left corner forward | St Michael's |
| No. | Player | Position | Club |
| 16 | Michael Boyle | Substitute | Termon |
| 17 | Martin McElhinney | Substitute | St Michael's |
| 18 | Marty Boyle | Substitute | Naomh Conaill |
| 19 | David Walsh | Substitute | Naomh Bríd |
| 20 | Christy Toye | Substitute | St Michael's |
| 21 | Stephen Griffin | Substitute | St Naul's |
| 22 | Daniel McLaughlin | Substitute | St Michael's |
| 23 | Martin O'Reilly | Substitute | Seán MacCumhaill's |
| 24 | Dermot Molloy | Substitute | Naomh Conaill |
| 25 | Declan Walsh | Substitute | Malin |
| 26 | Adrian Hanlon | Substitute | An Clochán Liath |
| Player | Position | Club |
| Antoin McFadden | Panelist | St Michael's |
| Gary McFadden | Panelist | Glenswilly |
| Peter McGee | Panelist | Gaoth Dobhair |
| Tommy McKinley | Panelist | Naomh Colmcille |
| Kevin Rafferty | Panelist | St Eunan's |
| Peter Witherow | Panelist | St Michael's |

## Competitions
### Dr McKenna Cup

Conor McManus from Cork was part of the panel after transferring to Cill Chartha due to work commitments and being called into McGuinness's panel. He made his Donegal debut against UUJ at O'Donnell Park on 8 January, playing in midfield beside Neil Gallagher. He was half-time substitute against Cavan at Breffni Park on 15 January. His third and final appearance for the county came as a corner-forward against Derry at MacCumhaill Park on 18 January. McManus did not participate in Donegal's league campaign as by then his work brought him to Limerick, allowing him to return to his native club Clonakilty.

### All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
## Post-season

Played under floodlights at Casement Park in Belfast on Saturday 3 November 2012, this game was held in memory of Michaela McAreavey. Donegal, in their first outing as All-Ireland champions, played a team comprising players from the rest of Ulster in an event intended to raise funds for The Michaela Foundation.

## Management team

* Manager: Jim McGuinness
* Selectors: Rory Gallagher, Maxi Curran
* Goalkeeping coach: Pat Shovelin
* Strength and conditioning coach: Adam Speer
* Surgical consultant: Kevin Moran
* Team doctor: Charlie McManus
* Team physio: Dermot Simpson
* Physiotherapists: Charlie Molloy, Paul Coyle, Donal Reid, JD.

## Awards
### Donegal News Sports Personality of the Month

* Frank McGlynn: June
* Neil Gallagher: August
* Michael Murphy: September

### The Sunday Game Team of the Year

The Sunday Game selected Paul Durcan, Neil McGee, Frank McGlynn, Karl Lacey, Mark McHugh, Neil Gallagher, Colm McFadden and Michael Murphy on its Team of the Year.

### All Stars

Donegal achieved eight All Stars, a record for a single season in team history. Karl Lacey was named All Stars Footballer of the Year.
| Pos. | Player | Team | Appearances |
| GK | Paul Durcan | Donegal | 1 |
| RCB | Neil McGee | Donegal | 2 |
| FB | Ger Cafferkey | Mayo | 1 |
| LCB | Keith Higgins | Mayo | 1 |
| RWB | Lee Keegan | Mayo | 1 |
| CB | Karl Lacey$^{FOTY}$ | Donegal | 4 |
| LWB | Frank McGlynn | Donegal | 1 |
| MD | Neil Gallagher | Donegal | 1 |
| MD | Aidan Walsh | Cork | 2 |
| RWF | Paul Flynn | Dublin | 2 |
| CF | Alan Dillon | Mayo | 2 |
| LWF | Mark McHugh | Donegal | 1 |
| RCF | Colm O'Neill | Cork | 1 |
| FF | Michael Murphy | Donegal | 1 |
| LCF | Colm McFadden | Donegal | 1 |

#### County breakdown

* Donegal = 8
* Mayo = 4
* Cork = 2
* Dublin = 1