“I bumped into one fella who said we were red hot favourites for Killarney. I had to walk away from him”
“I suppose we’ve been meeting them time and again, but there’s not an awful lot that we can do about that. All we can do is concentrate on the game this weekend, and treat it as that – just another game of football and to drive on like that. You can talk and talk about it, but what can you do only get back into it and get on with it?”
Pragmatism, learned in a hard school. Shields has played in two All-Ireland finals and lost both, but pessimism is poor nourishment. You invite him to pick over the positives for this year and Cork ‘s league success is exhibit A.
“The league went well and picking up a league medal was a bonus for us. It was a big incentive once we started doing well, because not many of us have league medals. Nicholas (Murphy) has one from 1999 and that’s about it. The likes of Graham Canty have been great players for Cork for years without ever winning a medal in Croke Park , so it was good from that point of view.”
On the other hand, a Mayo capitulation in Croke Park wasn’t much help to manager Conor Counihan and his backroom.
“It was disappointing not to get more of a game. It’s great to pick up a national title, but we would have preferred to find out a bit more about the team, about the players, in a tight game.
“Mayo just didn’t play on the day of the league final, they’d admit that themselves. If we ended up meeting Mayo later in the championship this year I’ve no doubt they’d be a different side, but that’s for another day.
“We took what we could out of the game. For instance, we looked on it as a big plus to have played in Croke Park in a big game early in the season – that’s always got to be a plus when it comes to the rest of the year. In that sense it was good.”
Other pluses have presented themselves – “We just got back into training after it and in fairness, we’ve had a few tough challenge games since then that have helped to bring us on,” – but 2010 has a different feel for Cork.
Much like Tipperary in hurling, there’s been a perfect storm of anticipation, with many a pundit declaring that Sam Maguire is Cork’s to lose.
Dangerous talk – but only if you’re listening, says Shields.
“People have been saying that, but if you look at it most of the people saying that are in the media. We’re not going to listen to that; if we did – if we were to pay attention to people outside the group – we’d be in big trouble.”
The defender has a ready card to throw across the table when it comes to those suggestions ahead of next Sunday’s Munster SFC semi-final; you could call it the four of diamonds.
“I bumped into somebody recently in town and they were telling me we’re red-hot favourites for Killarney,” says Shields. “I had to walk away from him. Kerry have four of the best forwards in the country in Kieran Donaghy, Colm Cooper, Declan O’Sullivan and Paul Galvin, and the others aren’t bad either; they’re the reigning All-Ireland champions; and they’re at home. And we’re red-hot favourites?
“I had to laugh at that. We believe we can win and we’re going down to win, but it’s Cork-Kerry, it’ll be tight.”
The Food Business student says he takes a common-sense approach now to those talking up Cork’s chances, though that wasn’t always the case in the past.
“You’ve to bite the lip a bit, but any inter-county player would tell you that. A couple of times when I was younger alright I’d have reacted, and taken it the wrong way when fellas would be talking to you about games and rising you. But that comes with the territory. The vast majority of people want to talk to you because they’re mad for Cork football; it’s only the odd fella wants to stir you up.’’
The St Finbarr’s club man has no regrets about coming back from a professional contract with Aussie Rules outfit Carlton . . .
“I had a great time there, fantastic, I met a lot of great people and I keep in touch with some of them still. I might head back later in the year . . .”
We feel a banner headline coming on . . . “Ah no, it’d just be for a holiday, just to get away to see a bit of the country.”
With all that talk of favouritism and so on, Shields has a ready outlet for relaxation. “My brother’s down near Carrigaline, so I’ll call down to him next Saturday. We might go for a swim or whatever, but I won’t get too uptight or anything, it’s more about relaxing than anything.”
He’s looking forward to the World Cup – and backing Brazil – but his real sporting passion away from football is boxing.
“That’s a big interest of mine, we had a boxing tournament among the Cork footballers for charity over Christmas, and it went really well, everyone got into it and we raised a few bob.
“Dan Lane down in Rylane Boxing Club trained us – it’s a fair education, to get into a ring with someone who’s going to hit you. There’d be a fair old fear factor there when it comes to participation. My attitude would be I’ve played in All- Ireland senior and U21 finals and was happy enough with how I played, it wasn’t too much for me, but boxing is different. I really enjoy watching it, though. If I had the choice of getting to any sporting event in the world, the World Cup, whatever, then I’d go to Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquaio. Vegas. A great boxing match. How bad.”
Enough of the flirtations, what about the long-term commitment?
“The first Munster final I went to was back in 1995, a great day out with my Dad as a small fella. I was looking forward to that one and I’m looking forward to this one.
“Cork-Kerry in Killarney? It’s class.”
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