Perfectly Frank, still driving the Banner after all these years

DOING a series of interviews for a hurling book earlier this year, one name kept coming up when people were talking about the Clare team of the 90s — Lohan.

It was “Lohan did this” or “Lohan was that” but it was just that one name, Lohan — a sure sign of a player who has left an indelible impression on friend and foe alike.

Brian Lohan certainly did that, the red-helmeted full-back from Clare now enjoying his retirement but firmly rated among the all-time greats.

The problem for some of us who followed that great Clare team, however, was that there was also another Lohan in the full-back line who merits such recognition. Though he didn’t have the electrifying charismatic effect of his older brother, Frank too was an outstanding hurler, a superb corner-back who did his own job to suffocating effect but also did what great corner backs do, helped out across the line, covering for his brother on more than one occasion.

They worked as a unit, that line, provided excellent cover for keeper Davy Fitzgerald, yet only one now has that instant recognition.

Lohan, Lohan, there’s only one Lohan. Does it bother Frank? Not a whit. “Gus, is it?” he laughs, a reference to his father, who also starred for Clare. “It doesn’t bother me. We had a lot of very strong players on that team and I’ll bet you’d also have heard references to Jamesie or Baker or Lynch or Seánie and a few more with that. They were all exceptional players.”

Well today, all those exceptional players are gone the way of Brian, out to grass. But still there, the sole member of the class of ‘95, is Frank, and on Sunday, in what promises to be a hell-for-leather Munster SHC semi-final, he lines out at full-back against Limerick in Thurles. Given Gus also played there, was it inevitable he too would end up on guard duty on the edge of the square?

“Maybe,” he concedes, “I played a lot there in college and on and off down the years, so it isn’t a huge change for me.”

Did he seek advice from his father or Brian about the role? “Not specifically. You talk to hurling people generally, you hear their views. Some people can be more flamboyant but the basics are always the same — stop the forwards getting goals, from getting easy scores and then add a bit to the attack. Keep your concentration and do the simple things well. If you can do that all over the field, it’s a great start.”

Certainly the basics are critical in any position, and in their efforts to impress, far too many players lose sight of that; confining himself to the basics, which must happen at full-back, is a challenge for Frank. Normally centre-back, a natural athlete of pace, power and stamina, a skilful hurler, a lot of those instincts have to be curbed in this most unforgiving of positions.

“It’s a negative position at inter-county level, you’re there as a stopper really. The games that will go really well are the games you get on the ball more but there are times where I’m happier not to get a touch of the ball, like against Waterford. I’d say it didn’t happen until nearly the last minute! At inter-county level, corner-back and full-back are both important positions and I’ve enjoyed both, but at club level you like to get on the ball a bit more and if you’re further out the field you have a better chance of that, it’s a looser game and you can enjoy it. But at county level, the full-back line is important, I’ve enjoyed it there too.”

Quality ball to the forwards kills a full-back line; in that respect Frank appreciated the work of the Clare front six against Waterford who were almost Kilkenny-like swarming all over Waterford. More of the same on Sunday will do nicely.

“There’s no question we’re going to need that against Limerick again. You need to give your backs a fighting chance and the way to do that is to make sure the opposition backs don’t have time to deliver quality ball. If the back has time to pick out his forward you’ll be crucified. It’s a pressure game, and it works in two ways; if the forwards work harder it helps their game in that it means they’ll be on the ball more, and helps the backs also.”

After 14 seasons in saffron and blue, there is still no sign of letup in Frank Lohan, no urge yet to follow all his erstwhile team-mates. Fact is, he’s still enjoying it. “There’s a huge commitment to get up to championship level but then you get results like against Waterford, and that was a great fillip. For this team to get into a Munster final would be huge, those days don’t come often. Yes, I’m still enjoying it.”