With his club Bradley has won the Derry Senior Football Championship. He usually plays at full forward for both club and county. Bradley is regarded as one of the best forwards in Ireland,[3] due to his accuracy in front of the posts[4] with both left and right feet - from both open play and frees.[5]
He has consistently been a high scorer for Derry, with a career high of 2-38 (44 points)[A1] during the 2004 All-Ireland Championship. He is third all-time top Ulster scorer in Championship football with a tally of 13-177 (216 points).[2]
His ten points (six from open play) against reigning champions Ballinderry in the semi-final was instrumental in Glenullin reaching the final.[13] Glenullin met Bellaghy in the final and after a replay, won the title.[14]
A combination of Bellaghy's defensive screen system[15] and tight man-marking by Michael McGoldrick[16] kept Bradley relatively quiet in both games. However, he scored the winning point in the injury-time to secure the Championship for Glenullin.[12][14]
Earlier that year, Glenullin won the Ulster Senior Club Football League,[1] beating Latton of Monaghan in the final.[17] The club reached the Ulster League final again the following year, but were defeated by fellow Derry club Ballinderry.[18] In 2008 the club reached the final of the All-Ireland Sevens Championship, organised by Kilmacud Crokes.B However, they were beaten 1–11 to 0–13 by St. Gall's of Antrim in the decider, although Bradley scored 0-05.[19][A2] Glenullin, jointly with Ballinderry won the 2008 Derry Senior Football League.[20] Bradley was Glenullin captain for four seasons between 2005 and 2008.[21]
While in the United States in the summer of 2003,[22] Bradley played for the Wolfe Tones GAA Club in Chicago. After a replay[23] the Wolfe Tones won the Chicago Senior Football Championship.[24][25]
Inter-county
Bradley made his debut for the Derry Senior team in late 1999 aged 18.[26]
In 2004, Bradley (2-38) and Enda Muldoon (3-24) contributed nearly 70% of Derry's total of 7-92 (113 points) in that year's Championship. Bradley received another All Star nomination that year.[29]
Bradley was Derry captain in 2005[1] and received a third All Star nomination that year. Longford knocked Derry out of the 2006 Championship after a suspense-filled game, despite Bradley's scoring 2–07 against them.[30] In addition to another All Star nomination in 2006, he was also nominated for the full forward spot on the inaugural GPA Gaelic Team of the Year,[31] but lost out to Kieran Donaghy of Kerry.[32]
In January 2007 Bradley was named Most Valuable Player in the All Star match between the 2006 and 2005 All Stars.[33]
In April 2007 Bradley was banned for 12 weeks after a "minor physical interference" with a referee in a club game for Glenullin.[34] He appealed the decision to both the Derry County Board and the Ulster Council, but both were rejected.[34] However, the suspension was lifted after an appeal to the Disputes Resolution Authority,[35] held on 29 May.[36]
Bradley had an impressive season in 2007, ending with five points from play in the All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Dublin.[37] On 19 October 2007, he was announced as full forward on the 2007 All Star team.[38] He was also named in the 2007 GPA Team of the Year.[1]
Derry finished top of Division 1 of the 2008 National League and along with second placed Kerry qualified for the final, which Derry won.[39][40]
Derry become the favourites to win the Ulster Championship.[41] However, despite a good opening Ulster Championship victory over Donegal, (where Bradley scored 10 points in a man of the match display, Derry exited the Ulster Championship against Fermanagh at the semi-final stage[42] and were defeated by Monaghan in the first round of the Qualifiers. He again received a nomination for a GPA All Star.[43]
Bradley and Derry again reached the National League final in 2009, but were defeated by Kerry.[44] Derry opened their 2009 Championship campaign with a win over Monaghan. However, they were defeated in the next round by Tyrone. Bradley was named captain for that game in the absence of suspended regular captain Fergal Doherty and injured vice-captain Niall McCusker.[45]
Bradley only scored one point against Tyrone and it later emerged he was carrying an injury into the game.[45] They were drawn against Monaghan again in the first round of the Qualifiers. On Monday 6 July 2009, five days ahead of the second clash with Monaghan, shock reports emerged that Bradley had quit the Derry panel.[45] Speculation mounted that he had told the then county manager Damian Cassidy he was leaving after an in-house training game the day before.[45] The Derry County Board released a statement on Monday night stating "Such rumours are totally unfounded and without substance".[46]
Bradley played against Monaghan and scored 2-08 (2-06 from play) in a man-of-the-match performance. Derry's 2009 campaign however ended the following week with defeat to Donegal, with Bradley being forced off injured in the second half. In November 2010, with a new Derry manager in place, it was reported by The Irish News that Bradley would again be available for selection for the 2011 county panel.[citation needed]
Bradley was overlooked for a place on the Ireland squad for the 2004 International Rules Series against Australia.[22] In 2005, despite scoring 24 points in a trial game he missed out again.[47] He was in contention for a place in the 2006 team,[48] but did not make the final 25-man panel due to injury/fitness concerns.[49] The 2007 series was cancelled, Bradley was however selected for the 2008 Series in Australia.[50]
Bradley was part of the UUJ team that won the Sigerson Cup in 2001.[8] He was top scorer in the final with 0-05.[51] He also won two Ryan Cup medals with the university.[1]
Media work
Bradley has appeared on the BBC's championship coverage.[52]
Derry Senior Football Championship winning captain:2007
Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.
Notes
A. 12 Scores are recorded in the format {goal total}-{point total}; a goal is where the ball goes under the crossbar and a point is where the ball goes over the crossbar. Each goal equals three points. For example, 2-38 = 2 goals and 38 points, making a total of 2 × 3 + 38 = 44 points. See GAA scoring rules for more information.
B. ^ Sevens is a form of Gaelic football where teams consist of seven players instead of the normal 15. Games are shorter, faster, more open and higher-scoring than normal football.
Each county participates in their respective provincial championship (in Derry's case the Ulster Championship) which operate through a knock-out cup competition format. The winners of each of the four Provincial Championships earn one of eight places in the All-Ireland quarter-finals. The 28 teams that fail to win their respective provincial championships receive a second opportunity to reach the All-Ireland quarter-finals via the All Ireland Qualifiers. The counties enter the Qualifiers at different stages (depending on how far they reached in their provincial championship). Four teams come through this system and join the four provincial champions in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.[56]
^Hannigan, Mary (27 August 2012). "Donegal may be in a league of their own, but no it's not rugby". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 August 2012. Over on BBC Northern Ireland they were no less befuddled... "Predictions?" asked Austin O'Callaghan. Jarlath [Burns of Armagh]: "Cork." Mickey [Harte of Tyrone]: "Cork." Paddy [Bradley of Derry]: "Cork." [...] Final whistle. "Well?" asked Austin, but his guests didn't really know where – or how – to start.
