"Even with Galway I used to love the coaching side of it - being on the pitch," tells Anthony Cunningham. The former Galway manager is enjoying his time as part of the Dublin hurling set-up.
Getting a chance to concentrate on the trees rather than the forest has reinvigorated Cunningham. Pat Gilroy can consider the bigger picture while Cunningham gets to grips with honing the tactics and the technique.
"Pat is a really organised guy, he has brought huge experience to the set-up.
"I will always learn off Pat, his management set-up he has also brought in Mickey Whelan, Paddy O'Donoghue, Sean Brady, guys he had worked with through the football years as well. It is a very well oiled machine."
According to Cunningham, Gilroy has empowered the players to take the wheel. Though, ultimately, he and the management team have the map.
He has a great way with his system of coaching, it is really, really strong. The way he would go is to give a lot of the responsibility to the players to figure out work, to talk about moves and to talk about tactics to develop their own game.
If a player doesn't have it or know where he has to improve it is very hard to get that point across. It starts with number one, the player has to know what to improve on.
Gilroy and his management machine greased the gears for the Dublin footballers in 2011 as they won a first All-Ireland title since 1995. Now a juggernaut under Jim Gavin, the same staff which keep the footballers rolling also aid the hurlers.
"All inter-county teams now have a very high standard, medically it is very astute, we have same medical doctors and physios as the football team.
"Bryan Cullen looks after the strength and conditioning across Dublin in both football and hurling so is part of the set-up.
"The same nutritionist, the same type of food, the same environment we train in, the same conditions, so it is very well organised and very well ran."
Cunningham has been impressed with the young Dublin panel. He also lauded the leadership of veteran Conal Keaney.
"The one thing I would say is that the young players coming through in Dublin are very good. They have been through a lot of coaching.
"There are very good coaches and very good clubs, a lot of people have put a lot of good work into Dublin. It is emerging, patience is also what people have to have because these lads will develop into fine players.
"Conal is an example to any player the way he applies himself, the way he trains. He was very sharp at the back end of last year when we started training first.
"He is a tremendous asset with great leadership, he is physically very strong and has been a brilliant hurler for years."
