Growing demands ending dual player era, says Hayes

THE era of the dual players in the GAA is coming to an end, according to Galway senior hurling manager Conor Hayes.

Hayes believes the growing physical demands and the changing championship structures are making it impossible to play football and hurling at intercounty level.

“A few years ago, if the footballers in Galway were beaten in the first round in Connacht, a fella could concentrate on the hurling. Even if the two teams did progress, there were far fewer games and a fella with natural talent could play both,” said Hayes.

“It’s not like that anymore, certainly not at senior level. It’s full commitment now, to both hurling and football. Even the likes of Roscommon, Leitrim, who haven’t won anything for a while, started training several weeks ago.

“This year Galway have opted out of the FBD League in Connacht to concentrate on their football training, and the hurlers are back also with a couple of night’s training done and challenges played in a Connacht league.

“If a dual player is to give full commitment to both teams nowadays, he’s going to be training six nights a week, playing at least one game a week if not two. It’s not on anymore, not for an amateur player trying to hold down a full-time job.

Hayes has witnessed the situation first-hand and again stresses the demands which are being made on the players. “We had difficulties ourselves last year with two players, Alan Kerins and Kevin Brady. Kevin was also going to be involved as a dual player at U21 level so he decided to opt out of senior hurling.

“Alan would train one night with the hurlers, the next night with the footballers, and in fact, there were times last year when he trained twice on a Saturday, do an hour or more with us in Athenry then shoot across to Tuam for 11.30 for a kickaround before going off to play a game.

"It’s a crazy schedule now for anyone, probably the best you could hope for is that a fella concentrates on one, does all his training in that code, then just plays his games with the others and if he’s good enough, he holds his place.

"Alan is a superb athlete and he tried to keep both going at the very top level but he ended up probably costing himself in the football. He’s an important figure for us in the hurling, one of our most experienced players but even there, you see the difference.

“When he’s been with us for a couple of weeks full-time before a game, his hurling definitely improves. When you’re dividing your time between the two, however, you’re a hurler playing football and a hurler trying to play football, and that’s the truth of it.

"The demands are totally different, incompatible even with football requiring extreme physical fitness while hurling demands a lot more time on skills.

"Alan has done it for a couple of years now, and I don’t think he’s able to do so anymore. He hasn’t given a commitment yet to the footballers this year, which suits us, to be honest.”