We’re quick to talk about burnout, pressure, scrutiny and the knock-on to club Gaels.
Big players in big counties and big clubs get a raw deal but it’s sobering to take a step back and think, ‘Jesus, so many would love to have these problems’.
The term ‘first world problems’ is applied to the GAA as well. It’s Super 8 problems.
You only think you have problems until you look at Carlow and you see men like Brendan Murphy being lauded by Colm Cooper as a midfielder who would play on any county team in Ireland. But, for six seasons, two games has been his lot for the summer and, still, he wouldn’t change it for the world.
Why? Because he loves his county.
“I’m proud of where I’m from. I’m a Carlow man through and through,” Brendan Murphy said in a brilliantly honest interview on The GAA Hour.
Brendan Murphy gives one of the most honest and admirable interviews about his county https://t.co/MpxNrvoYFL
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 23, 2017
He’s the sort of guy that could do it anywhere though but he’ll never get that chance.
“I suppose it is frustrating but it’s frustrating, I’d say, for any of the lads,” Murphy admitted before humbly turning attention away from himself.
“Obviously you’d love to be there and you’d love to be playing in the big games but you have to be realistic about it: There have been better footballers than me in the weaker counties – the likes of Leighton Glynn and Declan Browne and these type of players, they didn’t get there either – so I can’t pop my head up and give out.
“There are other guys there as well on the team – Sean Gannon, Daniel St. Ledger, Paul Broderick – they’re phenomenal footballers. They could feel exactly the same because they’re not getting the exposure.
“In one way, you’re just going to have to accept it that you’re never going to be there on the big day so, when days like yesterday come, you really have to just attack them. You have to make them special, don’t let the days pass.
“If that is our only good period for the summer, well at least we can all hold our heads up and say, ‘we took our chance’.
“I just hope the lads from the bigger counties really appreciate what they have when they’re playing on the big days because there are hundreds of thousands of footballers that would love to be in their position but will never get the chance.”
Listen to Murphy’s full thoughts on the matter below from 1:00:00.
