During this week's episode of our GAA podcast, The Hard Shoulder, special guest Ciaran Whelan gave presenters Anthony Moyles and Niall Kelly a brilliant insight into how Stephen Cluxton developed a kick-out strategy over the last ten years, which has revolutionised Gaelic football.
Of course, it wasn't something which happened overnight, nor was it the brainchild of Cluxton alone. Whelan traces its origins back ten years, to when Shane Ryan became a first choice midfielder.
In 07/08, and even going back 05/06, Shane [Ryan] was coming in at midfield with myself and certainly we had a strategy in training where Shane was the option to pick it up on the flanks.
He would go from side to side and if Cluxton saw him in space he would pick him out ... If he went long it was my responsibility.
The signs of Cluxton's ability were beginning to show but as Whelan points out, 'The kick-out was still based around the two of us [Whelan and Ryan].'
It wasn't until the arrival of Pat Gilroy and Mickey Whelan in 2009 that things really started to change. Whelan explains:
They were fundamental in changing the dynamic of the kick-out, because they saw any kick-out as primary possession. Whether it was ten yards, 15 yards; it was primary possession.
He adds 'Cluxton was always going to embrace it because he wanted to revolutionise the game. He wanted to do something different.'
Whelan delves further in depth, chatting about how Gilroy had started this tactic with Michael Savage at St Vincents, and also goes on to talk about how Cluxton has further developed this area of the game in the years since.
You can listen to the full podcast, including the aforementioned interview with Whelan, below or download it on iTunes here. Don't forget to subscribe.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/213094446" params="color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]
