Four. Top two in the Munster final.
1 Like
https://x.com/movementcoachkm/status/1786683474406936943?s=46&t=pBoz6vwJNpAFZhshXLNoZg
Cork GAA laughed at the big dog.
They regret that now
1 Like
How many GearĂłid Hegartyâs are produced like this though. I get he is the brilliant example of sticking with a lad but across all counties are there many more. Even in Limerick itself.
He was initially a footballer so was around the intercounty scene. Was he totally forgotten about hurling wise bar Kiely came along? And maybe because he was fit enough from the football and had the hurling linage he was worth taking a punt on?
He was always going to get a second look because of his lineage I would imagine
He was on a Limerick minor panel but donât think he featured at all in Championship (not sure he even on the bench). I remember calling for him to be giving a chance on an U-21 panel a year or two later, I just always liked his ability to win ball at half-forward.
His striking was fairly slow at the time and he could be bottled up but he was some man to win ball and to work. And we werenât blessed with that. Obviously, he got the breakthrough at wing-back and never looked back. But his improvements skill-wise between 2014 & 2015 and then 2015 to 2017 were phenomenal.
Hegarty is the obvious one that people point to but Gillane wasnât in contention to start at minor level or for his first two years of U-21. He destroyed Ballybrown in the 2016 county final, went on to be the U-21 HotY in 2017 but that was the first year he actually got a game for a Limerick minor/U-21 team. With the change to U-20, based on the same progression, he would never have played underage for Limerick.
Will OâDonoghue is another. Was always very highly-rated in Na Piarsaigh but only played one year U-21 for Limerick and he had a fairly bad day out. Didnât feature under Kiely when he was on the age. He has improved beyond all recognition.
Donnacha ĂâDĂĄlaigh is another more recently. Not quite the same but he would have been on-and-off academy panels and maybe on B panels the odd time. He did end up playing U-20s for two years so it is different but that was based on a really good year for his club in 2020 that he was brought back into the fold. And then obviously he had another superb club year where they won the All Ireland which helped him get onto a senior panel.
There are other examples on the extended panel; okay, they havenât become superstars but tbf to Kiely, he does keep an eye on late bloomers. Itâs madness to discard players at 20, especially nowadays when you are probably going to be 22 or 23 by the time you break into a senior intercounty starting team.
2 Likes
David Reidy being a prime example - a lot of counties would have moved in from him or player wouldnât want to go back in after he transferred up to Kildare. He had to wait for his chance but it has paid off handsomely for both player and county.
1 Like
Fact he transferred in 1st place was a good indicator of attitude
I was about to mention Reidy. The improvement in a lot of our players from a few years of Kinnerkâs coaching is phenomenal.
1 Like
Kildare turned Reidy inside out
Reidy had a sensational club season in 2017, in fairness to him.
I didnât include him as he would always have been a relatively big name at minor & U-21 but did have a few injuries when he was younger; missed the U-21 Championship in 2014 when he would have been one of the big names.
I do feel he was misused pre-Kiely though, he was tried a lot inside when he just isnât suited to that role at the highest level. A serious half-forward.
1 Like
Heâs some spoofer Kev
He probably isnât wrong re: the numbers being an issue rather than a blessing at times.
2 Likes
Poor Cork, youâve too many hurlers
3 Likes
What an odd post, and god onky knows why Fenway liked it.
Loads of counties would like our âproblemâ. We develop the same hurlers but ignore the ones we should be developing. Until that changes, we are at nothing. Those at the top and those in charge of development squads are clueless.
2 Likes
4 Likes
Similar to what you see at big clubs who win all around them at underage but canât translate it to senior. Always felt the realtively high standard of âaverageâ player on such clubsâ underage teams is a weakness rather an strength in the long term. On the one hand the main men tend to look better than they truly are. On the other it stunts the development of real leaders who have to carry teams or pull out all the stops to win games.
2 Likes
None of that invalidates Kevâs point.
Did I say it did?
I would have to agree. Know a parent of a lad on a Cork underage panel and the set up is poor. 2 fellas involved who never caught a hurley at any level.
1 Like