Gearoid McInerney just changed the photo he sees everytime he picks up his phone. He jokes that he might have to change it again - this time to the Mick Sylver Cup, the one his Oranmore-Maree side are aiming to win this year.
The last photo he had on it was the Liam MacCarthy Cup - it helped in this year's All-Ireland Championship, it might help Oranmore win the Galway Intermediate Hurling Championship.
"I like to set benchmarks this year. I did this year, I set goals this year around January - February time. I changed the picture on my phone to something motivational, something kind of close to me. That kind of helped it to me," says McInerney, who was just named PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month for September.
"The goals, you kind of start a bit low; make number six my own position, right up to winning the All-Ireland and a few personal goals along the way. The picture was the Liam MacCarthy Cup on the phone. I only changed it back there the last day because I even forgot it was there, it was there so long."
McInerney had a superb year at centre-back for Galway. Though one not good enough to be nominated for Hurler of the Year.
The 27-year-old already has his eye of emulating his father Gerry by winning two All-Irelands in a row. This time of year, he sees as the perfect point to put on some extra body mass. That's not a euphemism. He's already building for next year.
I always like this time of year for putting on a bit of body mass and cutting it down through the year.
I like to take the opportunity to get back into the gym side of things; not so much the hurling side of things, you let that come later on because you get plenty of that. I like to get back into the gym side of things straight away.
Polish strength and conditioning trainer Lukasz Kirszenstein's influence on the Galway team has been hailed by many on the panel. McInerney is among them. "It was a great team effort but he definitely had a major impact."
I'd always be in touch with him. I really kind of emphasised my strength and conditioning - that would be a big side to my game. I'd be close enough to him in that sort of a way. I'd be asking him for a few bits of advice.
On the hurling side, you'd be onto Franny for a bit of advice or Noel Larkin for a bit of advice on what to improve on with the hurling side of things.
I don't think there's a ceiling on it. The same with hurling, there's no ceiling on how much you can improve. You need to be better next year to be the same. We have to strive to go through that ceiling. There are no limitations there really.
David McGee, Markets and Strategy Partner, PwC and Aogán Ó’Fearghaíl, GAA President are pictured with Dublin Footballer James McCarthy and Galway Hurler Gearoid McInerney at the announcement of the September PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month Awards at a reception in PwC Offices, Dublin.
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