All of the best hurlers can play anywhere at all on the pitch.
David McInerney is one of the best of them. When Clare won an All-Ireland in 2013, their Tulla tank was one their star men. He finished that campaign with an All-Star and an All-Ireland under-21 title to boot and the sky looked the limit for himself and for the Banner boys.
Five years have passed since then and Clare’s golden generation haven’t really kicked on in an extremely competitive hurling landscape. The good thing for them is that they’re still young and they still have ample opportunity to take their chance.
This Sunday, however, feels like a bit of a groundhog day for them. For too long, they’ve been losing these crunch clashes in Munster, for too long they’ve been the nearly men.
Now, they’re heading for Semple Stadium with a vulnerable Tipperary team awaiting and nothing bar a win will satisfy the county’s loyal following.
One man who’s performance levels haven’t dropped in the years intervening that September triumph is David McInerney. Now operating at centre back, he’s the pivot around which Donal Moloney and Gerry O’Connor’s side revolves.
The man who milked his father’s cows the night before that famous 2013 day is strong as an ox, but he’s also a graceful mover, especially when in possession of the ball.
Clip credit: All_GAA
Former Galway forward Damien Hayes had only positive words for the Clareman on Thursday’s GAA Hour podcast, and he claimed that the former under-21 player of the year is one of the most versatile players in the country.
“I’m disappointed in myself that I haven’t mentioned him on this podcast yet and that’s David McInerney. He has become a fine player, a massive leader for Clare at the moment, he’s a great bit of stuff.
“His father was a great hurler as well. He has played full back and he has played centre back, but the truth of it is, I’ve seen that guy hurling and that guy could play centre forward, absolutely no problem.
“He won an All-Star and an All-Ireland at corner back but he could play a sweeper role, he could play in midfield. He’s a fine athlete.
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“He has a few problems last year with his back but this year he’s rested and he’s on a rehab programme, but yeah, I’d have a lot of praise for him.”
Indeed, Hayes feels that this is a must win, a do-or-die clash for this Banner side.
“I’m backing Clare. They have talent. They won an All-Ireland a few years, they need to be winning this game, they need to be hammering it home. They’ve lots of great players, young players, lively players.
“They’re not small men either, they’re all in unbelievable physical shape. I seen Tony Kelly here the other day at the garage, they’re all doing their correct S and C programmes.
“They need to push on now. They need to make the breakthrough, simple as that.”
You can listen to Damien waxing lyrical about David Mc and much more from Thursday’s GAA Hour Show.
