The 16th Man

With Graham Canty struggling in the race for fitness against Dublin in Corks’ All-Ireland semi-final rumours are rife that Eoin Cadogan is set to return to the footballing fold after the Cork hurler’s callous defeat at the hands of a seemingly invincible Kilkenny. Due no doubt to the demands at playing both hurling and football at the highest level, Cadogan has found himself on the bench rather than the playing field for the Cork footballers. With both teams competing for top honours toward the close of the season it highlights yet again, the gruelling demands of dual star mode and the difficulty in keeping alive this dying breed. Unfortunately, the demands of the modern game simply prove too much to successfully execute the exhausting process of performing to perfection in both codes.

Although still flying the flag of amateurism, the GAA is anything but, in recent years. Managers demand total commitment for total victory. Understandably, the dual element can deflect a players focus and concentration, a risk managers do not want to take with today’s game imitating such professional characteristics. Concentration is key to victory and a consistent and efficient routine perfects concentration. Inter-county teams train at least three times a week and managers do not want their players trying to dilute their intense schedules between hurling and football. Wexford people often speak fondly of Redmond Barry’s heroic feats when he played a football League semi-final game against Tyrone in Portlaosie and then hopped in his car and drove down to Nolan Park where he made a second half appearance against Kilkenny in the National Hurling league. In most counties players must choose between one or the other, and I am sad to say that in my home county of Waterford, it is the hurleys that the athletes usually reach for.

Michael Brick Walsh and Shane Walsh are gifted footballers who unfortunately, but understandably ply their trade with ash. Brick has six senior county football medals playing midfield with his club Stradbally and Shane has lost as many while winning two himself. The two were immense in Waterford U-21’s Munster Final victory over Kerry in 2003 with Brick pulling the strings from midfield and Shane Walsh fisting the all-important goal to the back of the net. I can still picture Brick’s powerful running that day, taking on the Kingdom on numerous solo runs, the ball seemingly glued to his hands and feet as he unhinged their defence. Shane has dabbled with the dual code in the past, but now with the drive for Liam McCarthy intensifying as many feel this generation of Waterford hurlers is coming to an end, he concentrates fully on hurling. All Star Brick, the new lynchpin of the team, has always concentrated 100% on hurling at senior level.

I remember turning up with my father to watch Waterford’s McGrath Cup semi-final game against University of Limerick at Kill GAA grounds on a freezing cold January Sunday in 2009. It was a great opportunity for Waterford to qualify for a final but unfortunately before the throw in it became obvious to the thirty of so followers in attendance that the Deise footballers were short numerous key players, who it turned out, had opted to attend a hurling trial that morning instead with the hopes of breaking into Davy Fitzgerald’s squad. Ultimately Waterford fell victim to the Limerick students in a close encounter, perhaps due to shortage of key players, the rattle of abandonment by their teammates or the fact that fresh legs were short (amazingly for such a vital game they had only two substitutes on the day due to the hurling trial and injury’s). Unfortunately, Waterford footballers cannot compete with the attraction of the spoils of victory and the roaring arenas of Semple and Croker in late summer which the hurlers can offer.

Leverage for dual stars is hostile in most counties. In 2004, when talented hurlers Stephen Lucey, Brian Begley, Mark Keane, Mike O’Brien, Conor Fitzgerald and Mark O’Riordan left the Limerick hurling panel for the football in an effort to encourage the hurler manager, Pad Joe Whelahan, to show leniency to athletes who wanted to compete in both codes for their county, they were met with a siege mentality. Although Pad Joe refused to change his mind the action of the players kick- started a revival in Limerick football. They reached the Munster final that year being beaten by Kerry by four points after a replay and then falling foul of the Qualifier system, when six days later they lost 0-10 – 0-7 against Derry. Since then Limerick have consistently tested the superior strength of Cork and Kerry in championship, agonisingly coming up just inches short on each occasion, 2010 proving no different when Cork disposed of them in the Qualifiers after extra time.

Cork, most likely due to the size and successes of the Rebel County, has produced the most famous dual stars over time. Ray Cummins, Jack Lynch and Teddy McCarthy have all made their way into the history books for their dual exploits. Ray Cummins had four Hurling All Irelands and one football and is the only athlete to win an All Star in both codes in the same year, 1971. Jack Lynch is the only man to win six All-Irelands in a row, parading with Liam on five occasions and Sam once in that purple period of his career during the forties. Teddy McCarthy is the only man to win All-Irelands in both codes in the same year, 1990.

However the more limited the chances of success, the more limited are the chances of dual stars breeding in the future. With the dominance of Kilkenny seemingly endless and Cork footballers on the cusp of an All-Ireland with their biggest tormenters, Kerry, knocked out, I wouldn’t be surprised if Cadogan concentrates solely on the big ball in 2011. I’m sure Paul Galvin will be hoping the same as no doubt the name Eoin Cadogan is scrawled in block letters in his infamous little black book. Importantly, when he was awarded the 96FM/C-103 Sportstar of the Month award for his display in the Rebels’ Munster hurling defeat of Tipperary, Cadogan thanked both coaches for allowing him to pursue his desire to represent his county at both levels. However as the game continues to descend further into the unofficial territory of ‘professionalism’ the harder and harder it will become for players like Eoin Cadogan to achieve their dreams. In an age where there is a lengthy negative descriptive diagnosis for even the smallest of muscle tweaks to frighten the bejaysus out of managers, long may players like Cadogan continue to strive for success at both hurling and football for Cork. Not only would it be good for the rebels, it would be good for the game.

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