The path less travelled
Yesterday morning brought reports that Podge Collins, one of the brightest stars of the Clare hurlers' All-Ireland winning class of 2013, had opted to play for the unfashionable Clare footballers for 2015. Most folk outside of Clare with a casual interest in the sport weren't even aware he was a dual player until they won the All-Ireland.
Following the 2010 All-Ireland championship, Dublin's Conal Keaney also had a choice to make between the footballers and the hurlers. As with Collins, playing both sports was no longer a viable option.
While there are peculiarities to Collins' situation, the fact that his father is the football manager for one, there are also similarities between his position and Keaney's once the decision was made. Both were leaving sides who sit very much at the top table for teams who may have exhibited promise but were not considered All-Ireland material.
The Dublin footballers had banished the demons of 2009 and were pipped by Cork in the 2010 All-Ireland semi-final while the Dublin hurlers, although a better organised outfit than they were in the mid-noughties, had just exited the championship at the hands of Antrim.
At the time, I think Pat (Gilroy) was a bit disappointed. He was throwing different things at me to get me to try and stay, but I wanted to really give the hurling a try and speaking to Daly it was the total opposite. I never met him but you could get the enthusiasm coming down the phone. I always wanted to just play with him and play under him.
In Dublin, most dual players eventually sacrifice inter-county hurling to play for the glitzier, better supported footballers. But for Keaney, returning to the inter-county hurling scene was a long-held ambition. Inter-county football was something he says he 'fell into.'
I always played hurling when I was very young, and I just happened to fall into the football squad after we won the U21 All-Ireland, it just happened that I moved over to the football. At the time the hurling set-up wasn't great. At the time I made the decision to leave the hurling it wasn't really a big decision for me, it was just something that had to be done, at the time I didn't see any bright future for the Dublin hurlers in the immediate future.
Keaney has no regrets about the decision. The Dublin footballers have scaled new heights in terms of performance the last couple of years, despite their knock-back nine days ago. But the hurlers have also enjoyed a whirlwind few years, winning the National League in Keaney's first few months there and claiming a first Leinster title in 52 years last year.
No regrets, there's no point living with regrets, you move on... I was always going to go back at one stage. Daly was always since the day he came in and I was always saying 'next year, next year' to him and I had to go at some stage. I didn't want to leave it too late...'
In Dublin, there was certainly no ultimatum with a recognition on all sides that dual 'wasn't an option.' He reckons Podge Collins is still young enough that he can change back if he misses the hurling too much.
In Podge's situation, he's young enough that if it doesn't work out for him this year, he can go back and play the hurling. He's in a great position. He can make the decision rather than any manager making the decision for him.
