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You are > Home > Kerry can’t afford to lose a player of O’Mahony’s class
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Thursday, May 06, 2010
Kerry can’t afford to lose a player of O’Mahony’s class
IT’S not too often that I can be shocked by what goes on in the GAA but when I first heard the news that Aidan O’Mahony had decided to leave the Kerry senior football panel, I was shocked.
I will state right now that he is a massive loss to Kerry and if I was Jack O’Connor then I would be trying my very best to persuade O’Mahony to change his mind.
I have read elsewhere that the Kerry management team showed great man-management relating to other matters surrounding the Kerry team but I have my doubts in their ability in this area.
If they do possess the necessary man-management skills, they would want to use them as quickly as possible because Kerry can’t afford to lose a player of the calibre of Aidan O’Mahony.
We are talking about a man that has won four All-Ireland titles, three Munster championships, two National Leagues and two All-Stars in what has been a glittering career since he made his senior debut back in 2004.
And it’s a hard task to pick his finest moment because there have been many. One that comes to mind is his performance in the 2006 All-Ireland final against Mayo when he was voted as the man-of-the-match.
He was immense that day, restricting the influence of Mayo’s danger-man Ciarán McDonald to just two points, while the Rathmore man scored 0-2 himself.
There might not be much more left for O’Mahony to achieve. But I also would argue that he has some of his best years left ahead of him as he is under no pressure to win honours.
He has them all won already. Aidan should now be able to play the game to enjoy it.
The statement released by the Kerry County Board said that he is taking time out for “personal reasons”. If that is the case, then we must all respect Aidan’s decision.
I know that he was very disappointed in losing his starting place last year but he will be the first to admit that he was not going well last season.
In my view, and I wrote it at the time, he seemed to have bulked up from too much gym-work but there were signs in this year’s National League that he was edging back to the form that earmarked him as one of the best backs in the country.
But then it started to go wrong when he was sent off against Tyrone up in Omagh and then he missed the Kerry team training camp in the Algarve.
But I have to make two suggestions – one to the player himself and the other to the management.
Aidan, you will never be able to get time back. You are still good enough to be on the starting 15 for Kerry but you can’t be picked if you are not on the panel. Get back in there and prove that Rathmore men and East Kerry men are made of stern stuff.
To the management, I am not saying that any special case should be made for O’Mahony but he still has a role to play for Kerry.
Remember that last year was tough on him, what with all the hassle he went through in relation to his asthma.
Maybe the player himself feels that it’s hard to deal with the perception of the year ahead. He might feel that he won’t make the starting 15 for the championship again this season. And he might feel that he has it all done when it comes to inter-county football. But, like I said, he will never get these years back again.
Some feel that O’Mahony can only play in the half back line but that’s a load of nonsense. He can play in a wide variety of positions. I have no doubt that he could be an asset to the team in any number of places.
I have seen him play well at corner back, wing back and centre field, but what about playing O’Mahony at centre forward where he would be a strong man that has the ability to win more than his fair share of breaking ball.
Tadhg Kennelly is not in the team this year so maybe O’Mahony could be used in the half forward line. Then Kerry could go, possibly, with a full forward line of Colm Cooper, Kieran Donaghy and Declan O’Sullivan.
Before some might say that I am trying to tell Jack O’Connor how to pick him team, that’s not the case but I want to highlight that O’Mahony could be a massive asset for Kerry this year.
I have seen enough football to know that there are still some great years and massive performances left in O’Mahony. He has been one of the best backs in the country in the last decade.
He must also realise that there will come a time when his playing days will be over and he doesn’t want to look back with regrets. Your county needs you, Aidan.
On a different note, the Division One league final was no more than a challenge game. Cork, who won, might have a big panel but I don’t think they know what their best team is. They have a selection problem that they haven’t had for a while but they don’t frighten me.
The league final between Down and Armagh was a much better game with a better style of football.
An interesting season lies ahead.
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