Veteran Sherlock refusing to give up Dublin dream
Pat Gilroy informed the 1995 All-Ireland winner that he was no longer part of his plans two months ago and he admitted yesterday that he was missing the involvement and that it had made for a “strange” summer.
The pair met for a chat last New Year’s Eve when Gilroy explained his intention to shake up the current panel this year and, though that was an early signal, the blow was still a hard one.
“I suppose it wasn’t a surprise but at the same time it was disappointing,” said Sherlock who was promoting a ‘Park, Play and Stay’ accommodation offer for GAA fans at the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel yesterday.
“Pat is the manager. He has to do things the way he sees them. There is no issue in terms of personality or anything like that. I’m still training away and, if things were to change, obviously Pat knows where I am.”
Fifteen years have passed since that memorable summer but Sherlock looks as lean and as fit now as he did then and is still on club duty with St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh.
He is honest enough to admit that he has no idea whether he would be able for 70 minutes of championship football in Croke Park right now but the competitive juices are still coursing through his veins. After his meeting with Gilroy seven months ago, he embarked on a comprehensive training regime with Will Heffernan of Informed Performance and met the trainer 50 times on top of his club’s training sessions. All to no avail, it seems. Reports this week have suggested that the casualty rate among the squad’s veterans is likely to increase when the side is named for this Saturday’s qualifier against Tipperary and Sherlock isn’t optimistic.
“I don’t expect a call. I have been very fortunate to wear the Dublin jersey. If Dublin felt in any way that I could offer anything, I would be back in a second.”
If this is, indeed, the end it is a shame that his career will have ended with a whimper – called ashore after 24 minutes of last August’s All-Ireland quarter-final loss to Kerry – having began with such a bang.
He admitted that it was a “gutting” experience at the time but insisted that there is no “bad blood” between himself and the Dublin manager.
“As a manager, Pat had to make calls to change the game when he feels its right so there’s no personal issue about that. It was more disappointing the way the whole way (the game) went.”
Sherlock admits the management’s swing towards a more defensive and workmanlike style was a big factor in his absence.
Sherlock has enjoyed seasons where he claimed personal tallies of 3-21 and 2-17 in the last 10 years but his game has always been about more than mere numbers on the scoreboard.
A cerebral player who always divided opinion, he was also one of the more experienced members in the squad, one that is now operating without the likes of Ciaran Whelan and Shane Ryan as well.
Events so far this summer have made many a Dublin supporter yearn for the return of one of more of the old brigade but Sherlock is sympathetic as to the task facing the management.
“You only have to see the reaction at half-time in the Wexford match and at full-time the last day. Dublin crave success, I suppose, and with the whole media thing there is no question there is more exposure there.
“You certainly can’t do things quietly or privately but the reality is we beat Wexford, just about, then we took a bad beating against Meath. The team is in transition as such so people’s expectations have to be realistic.”
Sherlock hasn’t attended either of Dublin’s championship games thus far but that should change this weekend when he intends to take in the meeting with John Evans’ Tipp at Croke Park.
And next year? Would he answer the call if it came in 2011?
“I don’t know. At the moment we’re due to play club championship in August. That’s eight weeks away. I’m focused on being as fit as I can be.”
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