There are new bosses in town and things are going to change… sometimes.
Gerry O’Connor and Donal Moloney have been handed the keys to the Clare senior hurling castle and they are determined to do things their own way.
The coaching duo, who have a combined underage record of five Munster titles and three All Ireland trophies, will make their own stamp on the senior side but are willing to bend on some matters. They have already retained Donal Óg Cusack as head coach and are willing to accommodate dual players, such as Podge Collins and Cathal McInerney.
But, as with most aspects of a cluttered club and county fixture list, there is a ‘but’.
Moloney told The GAA Hour that both himself and O’Connor always ‘facilitated and supported’ young players that wished to try their hand at football and hurling. There are also players that have soccer and handball passions accommodated. Moloney said:
“This wasn’t a hurling versus football thing, although that is where the clash primarily arises…
“I suppose it will come down to looking at the details of players that have tried it over the past number of years. There are quite a few, particularly in Cork and Clare. Any further policy on that would be informed by the players’ experiences.
“I would know a couple of players that have tried it and I have spoken briefly to them about it but I’d like to tease it out a bit further.
“It is challenging, especially if you have to go through the qualifier route. That is where [football and hurling] clashes. You could probably meander through the league and get by all right but once it gets into a championship and both sides are travelling through a qualifier route, that is where it becomes very, very difficult.”
Moloney and O’Connor are more than happy to sit down with the likes of Collins, McInerney and more as ‘they’re the best qualified to tell the story of what it is like’.
If any one player could handle both codes, Moloney remarks, it is Collins.
On the latest episode of the GAA Hour, Wooly chats to new Clare joint manager Donal Moloney [from 11:30 on]. Listen below or subscribe on iTunes.
