That is very true. The fellas operating at that high a level rarely improve that much as they get older.
Eoin Kelly for instance hardly improved that much as the decade went on as he was already playing at a very high level in 2001. Gooch in football was already at his best at around 21.
Yes, Gooch was who I had in my head.
Iâd like a name of someone who was a top class hurler in their early 20âs and improved to be an even greater player when they were 28/29?
Was Shefflin that much better at 29 that he was at 23? Tommy Walsh?
even you could pick out lads who were fairly polsihed hurlers who were excellent players at 21/22 and plateauâd there. John Gardiner, Joe Canning, Richie Power to name but a few. while a lads like John Mullane & Michael Fennelly who had obvious deficiencies for I/C hurlers are far removed from the player they were at 21 due to hard work and improving on their flaws
Its an interesting point. i have always thought that skill level amongst a lot of players peaked in late teens/very early 20s. its understandable as they have more time on their hands to practice their skills/puck around etc. once you leave college, start a job, get married, have kids etc you just dont have the same amount of time on your hands.
on that note, its noticable how that the tipp lads who were unemployed such as conor o mahony and padraic maher etc are playing at a better level than last year. they are probably meeting up for puck around etc to keep themselves occupied
Perhaps those immensely talented youngster start to suffer the effects of burn out by the time they are 25/26, if you are a superb hurler at 18/19 you will be dragged from pillar to post for the next 3/4 years so by the time it comes 25/26 the body just doesnât have any improvement left to give?
Were Offaly 94 much different to the league winning team of 91?
that is would be an accurate evaluation aswell
just thinking about that again, after 21 your playing commitment should be greatly reduced as you wont in many cases have college, u21 etc
Iâd have to guess but Iâd say about ten of the '94 team played in the league in '91. Nearly all of them were there in '92 when Offaly could have beaten Kilkenny and in '93 when they should have beaten them.
true, but your inter-county career and day job should be demanding more of your time
less recovery, more intense training and a few other headaches to occupy your day should lead to the kind of burnout symptoms that brian corcoran and half the clare seniors from 95-05 displayed.
agree with all that
Eoin Kelly was a much better player in '05/06 than he was in '01. There were signs he was approaching top form again this year but he was well beaten on Sunday. On replacing Corbett, people should remember that his career has been fairly mixed. Heâs been outstanding under OâShea/Dunneâs guidance but he was a fairly windy operator for a long time. When it comes to people like Noel McGrath and Pauric Maher, itâs the maturity they gain that makes them better players. Hurling wise neither have much scope for improvement but their leadership, consistency, and decision making should improve even further. No guarantee that it will of course, just that it could.
The Arsene Wenger approach is the best way for understanding a playerâs development. Technique comes first, then physique, then tactical understanding, then mentality. In football that process is shorter than GAA obviously but it probably works the same way.
Sounds like a fair enough request
[left]
Kerry want qualifier reward for cup win
By Kieran McCarthy
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
CHRISTY RING Cup holders Kerry have applied to Central Council for a rule change to allow the competitionâs winners to enter the All-Ireland SHC qualifiers from next season.
Kerry, who have decided against competing in the Munster SHCproper, believe it would benefit the Christy Ring Cup winners to go straight into the first round of the qualifiers.
âWe have applied to Central Council asking that the winners of the Christy Ring Cup would be allowed to enter the All-Ireland SHC qualifiers from next year,â Kerry County Boardchairman Jerome Conway confirmed.
"That would demand a small bit of change because itâs not possible at the moment.
"We feel that while we are not ready to step up to Munster championship level at this stage, Kerry need a step up from where we were that season.
"They are changing the leaguesâ format and there will be a bit more competition from next season on but we still feel that we need more of a step up when it comes to the championship.
âWe expect a decision on our request very shortly,â the chairman confirmed.
Following Kerryâs Christy Ring Cup final victory over Wicklow in June, the option of competing in the Munster SHC and All-Ireland qualifiers was open to them but Conway confirmed that Kerry, who will participate inDivision Two of the Allianz League, will not make a return to the provincial fold next season.
âWe are not ready for the Munster senior championship next year but maybe the year after, if we can do well in the Christy Ring Cup again next season,â Conway said.
"If our proposal is carried, it would be a great incentive for all teams in the Christy Ring Cup as it will allow a team to go on and play in the qualifiers, which allows a team to test itself against some of the best teams in the country.
"It would have been ideal this year because the first round of the qualifiers were the weekend after the Christy Ring Cup final.
âWe have also spoken to the National Hurling Committee about our proposal,â he added.
Read more: http://examiner.ie/sport/gaa/kerry-want-qualifier-reward-for-cup-win-164441.html#ixzz1VBgJ2Yk0[/left][/left]
Ya, i think Sheflin is better at 29 than 23, definitely. Jimmy Barry Murphy improved at Hurling as the years went on, having been a star young. Brian Corcoran the same, twice almost if you consider the position change where he reinvented himself.
Mikety Sheehy and half that Kerry team in Football, they all won an All-Ireland at 19, but progressively improved as time went on.
Kinda works into Fenways argument about only been allowed play for one team at IC. Think this is only relevant to the dual player discussion though, if a guy only plays one game i really donât see an issue, he should be peaking between 26 & 32 (not inclusive, but the best 2-3 years should be in here)
I agree with your general point, but Corcoran throwing in the towel had to do with the conditions in Cork hurling as much as anything. He actually said (paraphrasing) that its hard to keep going with âlifeâ, but its impossible when you have to deal with the likes of the CB and the way they were treated. I would say the way things are now fellas wouldnât dream of playing for the county unless they were being really well looked after, due to pressures of work.
That Kerry thing is interesting. I donât know if they should be considering a run in the Munster championship though. Itâs very hard to imagine them challenging anyone yet and it wouldnât do them much good Iâd say. Iâd have no objection to them entering the qualifiers if it could be done neatly.
Maybe they should be let into the Leinster championship, it is a couple of notches below that of Munster and it would allow them to find their feet before returning to Munster
Its a logical solution alright.
Iâd know a few of the lads involved with Kerry hurlers and I was slagging them saying congratulations on being involved witrh the last ever Kerry team to win a championship match. It was madness if they went into Munster and I think they should be applauded for showing some common sense and remaining in the Christy Ring. While you need to be playing better teams to improve yourself theres no point getting hammered either.
I would suggest Carlow, Westmeath and a few more should go back to the CR aswell and if the winners progressed then at least youâd know they were the best of the rest and had a few games under their belt.[/left]