Seamus Callanan has called on the Tipperary public to get down and support their minor hurlers in the Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor final on Saturday.
Tipperary are going into the lions' den, taking on Kilkenny in Nowlan Park but Callanan, who won an All-Ireland minor in 2006, feels that with a good support behind them, they'll be ready for the challenge.
Seeing as his club-mate and long-time team-mate James Woodlock is the Tipp manager, Callanan has watched a lot not just of the Tipperary minors but of the minor championship in general.
And speaking to Balls this week, he name-checked Jake Mullen (Kilkenny), Stefan Tobin, Cillian Minogue and Euan Murray (Tipperary) as players who have impressed him so far.
Pictured is former Tipperary Minor hurler, Seamus Callanan, ahead of the 2024 Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Finals. This summer, Electric Ireland are using their social channels to spotlight players from across the Championships, in recognition of the major impact that playing Minor can have on young people’s future successes, on and off the field. You can follow the campaign on social media @ElectricIreland and via the hashtag #ThisIsMajor.
Callanan was blown away by the physicality of the Kilkenny team in their semi-final victory over Clare but Callanan says Woodlock and fellow former team-mate Conor O'Brien will have them well prepared.
"It's going to be a tough test," says Callanan.
"I watched the Kilkenny-Clare semi-final which was some game to be fair.
"It's a fantastic Clare team that got knocked out, but Kilkenny were unreal. You'd love watching the likes of Jake Mullen, he's just buzzing around there everywhere, playing a very similar style of hurling to his brother Adrian. He's just a fantastic young player at only fifteen years of age.
"I couldn't get over the physicality of the Kilkenny team in that semi-final.
"They were monsters for only under-17. Someone was saying afterwards too that a lot of them are underage next year too so they've a serious breed of young players coming through.
"But I've no doubt that our lads will give everything. They've won a few games on the road too and I'd say if they bring that never-say-die attitude, we're in for a humdinger of a game."
16 June 2024; Jake Mullen of Kilkenny during the Electric Ireland GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Semi-Final match between Kilkenny and Clare at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile
After a poor year for the Tipp seniors, Callanan says the progression of their minor and under-20 teams to All-Ireland finals was a 'badly needed tonic.'
"There were a few tough matches there to be a Tipperary supporter," the Drom-Inch club-man admitted.
"They've given us great days out," he says of the minors' and the 20s.
"Kilkenny is only 40 minutes down the road from a lot of us in Tipp so there's no reason why we can't all make the effort to get down there.
"When it's minor, structure goes out the window a little bit and they can really showcase their skills. I think it's going to be so exciting.
"With players that are fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, you don't really know what's going to happen next, it takes on its own life, they do express themselves on the pitch.
"Euan Murray, Cillian Minogue, Stefan Tobin, they're fantastic players for Tipp, unreal forwards."
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