The 16th Man

John Kiely or Jackson as he is affectionately known is widely acknowledged and correctly so, as the man who put Waterford football on the map. Having managed Waterford to two All-Ireland Junior titles in 1999 and 2004 Kiely took over the reins at Senior level in 2005. He kick-started a period of transition, slowly turning the cogs of Waterford football from a volatile team to a virile one. Opting for as many players over six foot as he could find, Jackson moulded a team of jackals who degraded once monolithic opponents by attacking their best qualities and then finishing off their wounded enemy with vigorous power and pace. Under Kiely, Waterford went from watching a team that made you think you had been drinking Jack Daniels all morning, to a team that claimed major scalps and began to collect confidence as well as back to back League points for the first time in decades.

Speaking to him, he informed me that his greatest memory as Waterford Senior manager was in 2006 when Waterford played Kerry in the Munster championship in Killarney. It was a game where despite losing; Waterford substantiated the work Jackson had put in, proving insurmountable for Kerry throughout the majority of the match. ‘That day none of the Kerry forwards got a shot on our goalie Tom Wall. Unfortunately at the other end we missed a few chances including a penalty but late in the second half we were only four points behind. We certainly had them worried.’  Kerry went on to win the game by eight in the end, turning to their strong bench to help them stumble over the finish line. A proud statistic from the day boasts that it was the only time in championship (and still is), where Colm Cooper was held scoreless from play. Kiely explains ‘That would be my greatest memory as Waterford manager because of the quality of the opponent.’
Kiely is a man of tremendous charisma with serious credibility and a depthless knowledge of the GAA, whose name will forever be entangled in the legacies of Waterford football. His ability to recall information is gained from a lifetime of experience. His first ever GAA memory dates back to 1959 when he was only a young child, listening to Micheal O Hehir announce on the radio that Waterford hurlers had just won the All-Ireland final. He adds it was the last time anyone heard those words being echoed around the country.
Interestingly he informs me that he was part of the committee that reconstructed the championship rules this year and that the rule. The rule he pushed his weight behind was taking all goal kicks from the thirteen metre line. He explains his stance; ‘It eliminates the quick kick outs from the edge of the square and from a managerial point of view plants the ball in the middle of the field, in the business area.’ This view is typical Jacksonesque: demanding the game to be played at its rapacious best.

Keenly offering his qualified views and opinions on this year’s championship, we go straight for the jugular: Who will win Sam? ‘Cork, simply because they have the panel. Like every other person in the country, I would be delighted to see Kildare win it because they’re going back nearly 82 years since their last. McGeeney has really put the Armagh stamp on Kildare.’ Although Down may have delighted others with their slaying of Kerry, it must not be forgotten they almost came undone against a mediocre Offaly side and were drawn against a down and out Sligo team. For these reasons Kiely states that the Mourne men are ‘very lucky’ to be in the position they are.

Being a traditionalist in nature, Kiely makes clear his disappointment with the quality of refereeing portrayed throughout the championship thus far. Blaming the inconsistency in the interpretation of the rules, he highlights the issuing of numerous yellow cards as the blight which has stubbed the flow of fluid football in 2010 matches. He also uses the example of poor refereeing to reinforce his prediction that Cork will be crowned All-Ireland champions for the first time in twenty one years. ‘Cork’s best performance all year was against Kerry in the drawn game and it was really the referee who cost them. Cadogan should have got a free in the replay to make a draw of it like Cooper got in the drawn game. Graham Canty was also sent off in the wrong.’

Although Cork has stuttered to the semi-final like a diesel car with petrol in the tank, Kiely is confident that the Rebels will see off Dublin and whoever awaits them in the consequent final. ‘Conor Counihan is a very sure fella. He keeps quiet to the media and his friends! [He’s] very tough as a player and one of the best centre backs to play the game. I have a lot of respect for him.’ Not hesitating in cutting the hoofs off the boar Kiely states that of the four semi-finalist managers, he is least convinced by Pat Gilroy. He disagrees with his inconsistent use of Alan Brogan and notes that while overcoming Tyrone was a major victory for Dublin, the northerners uncharacteristically shot seventeen wide’s on the day. Turning his attention toward Bernard Brogan, Kiely begins to permeate praise, describing him as an ‘unmarkable player’ and ‘the highlight of the championship’. Brogan has notched up an impressive 2-45 this season to lead the championship scoring charts and almost single handedly guide Dublin through the qualifiers to an All-Ireland semi-final. ‘Bernard Brogan is my player of the year. He is a player that really catches your eye and I love to see the ball going into him because you know he is going to do something exciting with it.’

The fact that none of this year’s Provincial winners have found their way into the last four of the spoils is a fact which Kiely thinks needs vindication, but he also succinctly makes the point that the Qualifiers have always been a greater advantage to the bigger teams rather than the smaller ones. ‘No weaker county has yet to reach the All-Ireland since the Qualifiers were introduced let alone win it. Playing week after week doesn’t suit the weaker teams either. The likes of Kerry and Cork can afford that because they have strong panels but injuries and fatigue effects the smaller counties.’ As for the future of football Kiely believes the big teams will continue to dominate. Before revealing his next opinion I should stress that he is an established Kerry supporter and therefore these words are not easy to speak for him! ‘Cork will dominate Munster for the next six or seven years. Cork is still in the minor and they have won a lot of U-21’s so they have plenty of good young footballers. Kerry is weak and has nothing coming through. They had a very poor minor team this year and haven’t won a minor since ‘94.’ As for the Kingdom’s demeanours over the past decade, Kiely believes Tyrone’s work and achievements at minor level in recent years will ensure that Mickey Harte’s men will still be around to cause discontent to would be competitors.

Kiely recites information so effortlessly that his unquenchable thirst for GAA shines through on every word he utters. Always fond of a punt, the man credited with restoring the mental defiance in Waterford footballers, finishes our chat on an adventurous and brave note. Asked which weaker county he could envision surprising and troubling the top tiers in the near future, Kiely, after systematically writing off obvious choices who have punched pinprick holes in this year’s championship, opts for Antrim. After rewriting the history books by winning Waterford’s first ever football All-Ireland title in 1999 I certainly won’t be questioning the fervent man’s dependable instincts. After all he repeated the feat again in 2004. He clearly has a good eye for the underdog.

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