Only Kerry could lose Colm Cooper, Darran O’Sullivan, Donnchadh Walsh and Kieran Donaghy in the last few years and still boast a stupid selection of forwards.
It’s an embarrassment of riches, really, what the Kingdom will have to choose from in attack and it’s only going to get stronger.
- Paul Geaney
- David Clifford
- James O’Donoghue
- Stephen O’Brien
- Seán O’Shea
- Michael Geaney
- Barry John Keane
- Micheál Burns
- Jack Savage
We can nearly, already, add to the list one more name:
- Tony Brosnan
Brosnan was on the Dr Crokes bench at the start of the campaign, hardly a shame when there are currently seven All-Ireland medals amongst the subs at the minute and, back then, Colm Cooper was ahead of him – the greatest.
Cooper got injured, Brosnan came in, he hit 1-14 in one game in the Kerry championship (1-11 from play) and the rest is history. The Gooch is a sub. And how could you take Brosnan out?
Crokes selector Niall O’Callaghan said after the Munster final that Cooper hasn’t huffed or threw his weight around. Instead, he’s just worked harder to try and get back into the team.
“Colm could have — and he would have been right to — come along and give us loads of up-the-banks, but he didn’t. He’s around encouraging the young lads, showing up to training early.
“He’s asking the questions, big time. Through his performances at training, he’s asking us, ‘why aren’t I starting’?”
The Kerry outfit beat the Clare champions with nine points to spare on Sunday on their way to the All-Ireland semi-final and Tony Brosnan racked up 0-7 of their 1-21. He led the way in their scoring again but one point in the first half really showed the full extent of what the corner forward is capable of.
Being double marked, he won a low ball drilled in first time out in front, he evaded one tackle, broke the bonds of the second man who got a firm grip on him, he came back out, dummied, went back in before turning and firing over from a tight angle under serious pressure.
Beidh sé deacair stop a chur leis na Crócaigh. Tony Brosnan le cúilín iontach le linn Cluiche Ceannais @MunsterGAA @DrCrokesGAA look like contenders! Tony Brosnan with a super point v @MiltownGAA in yesterday’s #Munster final
Highlights @ 20.00 ar @SportTG4 @Kerry_Official pic.twitter.com/y3CTieSWZO
— GAA 2024 (@GAA_2022_TG4) November 26, 2018
It’s not like this man is doing it at club level with no harassment and nothing but time. He’s being targeted, he’s being pulled and pushed and he’s still ripping it up.
He’s been the outstanding player of the outstanding club team in Ireland this season.
The Kingdom will come calling.
