Gardiner's world
WHEN a Na Piarsaigh mentor noticed John Gardiner alone in the club ball alley one evening, striking a sliotar into the same spot over and over, curiosity eventually overcame him. He asked Gardiner what was going on.
“I had this shot in mind all day in work,” said Gardiner. “I was wondering if it’d be unreturnable.”
It’s not much of a story, but as a lesson about the Cork wing-back’s dedication it speaks volumes.
Wednesday morning, Gardiner and I are pucking a ball around in the Na Piarsaigh indoor hurling area, and the lesson is mine. When I hit the ball back to him, it doesn’t matter if the sliotar takes a false bounce or skews over his head, he controls it instantly.
The sound of his shots is consistent, the same meaty contact every time, while my striking plunks and pings. I can’t even blame my tools; I’m using his spare hurley.
It’s no surprise Gardiner is a hurler to his fingertips when his family is “steeped” in Na Piarsaigh: “My brother David’s only a couple of years older than me and it’s great to train with him over the winter, while at home it’s hurling and football all the time. I wouldn’t be where I am without my family.”
Last year’s Cork county final win over Cloyne should have been a career and family peak, but tragedy struck when his uncle Thomas died the Friday night before the game.
“He lived just down the road and himself and my dad were very close - he called up to us a couple of times before the final to wish us luck. We were concentrating on the game, we hadn’t been there for nine years and it was an important one for all the lads, but that put it in perspective for us. We went out and played, I think that’s what he would have wanted us to do. We did what we had to do and gave him a good send-off after that.”
Gardiner was the outstanding player on view, curling over a point from the sideline to kill the game off. “That was a good one to score, it put us six or seven up, but we worked hard all year for that, it was a good team performance. Most of us grew up together and it was great because of that.
“Then you had the Setanta (Ó hAilpín) factor, the huge crowd down at the Sars game - even if it wasn’t the best hurling championship in years, there was plenty of twists to it. Winning it was a great boost to the club membership, we got young lads in we never saw before.”
Gardiner is conscious that hurling needs a strong urban presence. “Donal (O’Grady) made the point that when the city clubs do well, Cork usually do well. There are lads from all over the county on the Cork panel, and they all deserve to be there, but it’s also important hurling is strong in the city.”
Cork face another urban stronghold of the game tomorrow.
“There’s a lot respect between us and Waterford - I think it’s the fact that we’re kind of similar, we’re both going out to play hurling. There isn’t any bitterness between the two counties, it’s a great rivalry. I know the traditional Cork rivalry might be with Tipp, but this is great, it’s something different.
“Going back to 2003, we were a few points down at half-time but we came back to win, then last year you had what people call a classic Munster final, which we lost, but there’s no nastiness.”
Which is not to say it isn’t competitive. Those who saw RTÉ’s recent review of the season saw Gardiner and Dan Shanahan having a frank exchange of views at the Killinan End.
“Yeah, a ball went wide and there was a bit of a shemozzle between me and Dan, that was about the size of it. The ref spoke to the two of us and I think Dan got a bit more of the blame than I did, though it was probably 50-50. He was giving out about that, but it was just banter.
“Marking Dan is different to, say, Tommy Walsh. Dan wouldn’t be as quick but he’s got more physical presence, and if he’s in the half-forward line, you can be sure they’ll land puck-outs on him, he’ll be a target. Last year that probably worked for them. Tommy comes on to the breaking ball more, whereas with Dan it’s more one-on-one. Still, you have to focus on your own game.”
Focusing means the little things. Details. As we chat about free-taking styles in the hall, and Gardiner’s famous twirling of the hurley, the talk turns to taking penalties and defending them, and I get a quick tutorial.
“I wouldn’t mind taking one for Cork, though it’ll probably be Sully if we get one,” says Gardiner. “See, you’re left-handed, if you’re on the line for a penalty and you’re on the keeper’s left, then I’m aiming over your left shoulder. It’d take you that split-second extra to get the bas up there. That’s why it’s handy to have a left-handed player on the line, but on the keeper’s right, to mind that corner.”
Focus also applies to preparation, and Gardiner acknowledges every county team is looking for that extra one per cent. “Everyone’s looking for that one little thing that’ll give you that something extra, and if it works for one team, the “inches” speech or whatever, why won’t it work for another? There are already rumours that some county teams get their players to work part-time the week of a match, that’s something that’s bound to come in more and more.”
In that context it seems a contradiction that Gardiner doesn’t feel the dual mandate is absolutely unachievable.
“I don’t think it’s impossible, but a dual player would want a lot of spare time. A hurler needs to be hurling all the time, and for hurling if you can run 20 yards as fast as you can ten or twelve times in a row, that would nearly do you. In football you need a different type of fitness, you have to move around the field all the time, getting thumped all the time.
“People don’t understand the time commitment. I don’t think it’s impossible, but it’s very, very difficult.”
I mention Sunday again when I puck the ball back out - or the venue, to be precise. “Thurles is the place to go,” says Gardiner, “Everyone is there for the match, for that one reason, you’re going past those red jerseys ... all these fellas’ hopes are resting on your shoulders, it’s great.
“People said last year’s final was a great game, but it’s a game we felt we should have won. We won’t lack motivation, I can tell you that.”
And there’s a little more venom in his shot when he returns the ball.
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