Long grass isn’t a bad place

So, I’m back at the keyboard and looking forward to another Championship season both on and off the field.

The 2011 campaign won’t be one I will recall with any great fondness, bar the huge honour of getting to captain my county. But it’s funny, I’m looking forward to this summer as much as any other before; the long grass isn’t the worst place to be and I’m quietly confident that 2012 could prove more fruitful for Monaghan than many are currently predicting.

They say three of the most stressful things anyone can do is get married, move house and change jobs. So, for the craic, I decided to go and do all three over the winter! Now, I’m a married man, living in Louth, working in Westmeath, and commuting three or four times a week to Monaghan for county and/or club duty. Life as an inter-county footballer has never been so demanding. Every hour is spent trying to balance commitments; but I’m still loving every minute of it. An interesting quote from a friend in the know sums things up: “For the 30-something athlete, the day isn’t about the two hours spent training, it’s more about the 22 that’s not.” Deep...