The free-taker: Luxury or not?
PRECEDENT has shown in all sports that the success or failure of “the frees” can make or break a season.
While undeniably the difference in some games, every year some inter-county team stirs up the debate; can they carry a proven free taker in place of AN Other who may contribute more from open play? It’s a tricky issue. Proven dead ball experts are not uncommon. Many club teams around the country have excellent free takers in their sides. However, not all these guys are capable of playing at inter-county level. The tipping point is debated long and hard — when do the costs outweigh the benefits? When does the perceived contribution of the free-taker from open play become too minimal relative to a viable replacement? Equally, it’s about mentality as much as ability. Is their ability from placed balls in training and league games transferable to the big stage?
Every situation is different and the variables change but in the rush to perform surgery on a team, the decision-makers often find it easy to target perceived apathy. By their very nature, many of the top free takers are composed individuals. A languid style often goes hand in hand with one of their prime attributes — composure. The good ones are often very relaxed and this apparent indifference can be perceived as flying in the face of the work ethic every manager tries to instil.
Looking deeper however, their relaxed nature can often hide a steely resolve. Dave Alred (renowned kicking coach) coined this persona — the gunslinger. When he did a session with the Cork football dead-ball specialists, the first thing he did was show a video of an old western where the steely-eyed gunslinger looks his opponent coldly between the eyes and then puts a bullet in the same place. No fire and brimstone. Just cold-blooded accuracy, irrespective of circumstance. This is the mentality he wanted to see in his place kickers.
Some may suggest that a good team will always find some way in which to win over the 70 minutes but this year’s championship will be very close. It has at least four viable contenders at present (Kerry, Cork, Tyrone, Dublin), an improving chasing pack (Down, Laois, Donegal, Kildare, Mayo, Armagh etc) as well as an inevitable bolter or two (e.g. Limerick, Louth etc). Many games will be close. The free-taking will be crucial. If you are looking for a reason why any of the contenders for this year’s Championship may or may not climb the steps in September, then the presence or absence of a proven marksman is as valid an argument as any.
KERRY appear torn year-on-year with the issue. Bryan Sheehan is undoubtedly the best off-the-deck free-taker in the country. In any other county, he starts and finishes every game. Kerry is different insofar as there is no circumstance in which Colm Cooper, Paul Galvin, Declan O’Sullivan or Kieran Donaghy can be left out. Invariably, there are usually several other top class forwards also putting their hands up (Darran O’Sullivan, Donncha Walsh, Kieran O’Leary etc). Add in their traditional plentiful supply of quality ball into their forwards from a dominant midfield and one can see how they have never become overly reliant on frees. Jack O’Connor has often left Sheehan out or even replaced him during games despite his frees going well. Indeed, no one knows his team better than Jack O’Connor and he has to be admired for his ruthlessness. However, I wonder will they be able to take the risk this year? Games will be tight. With the midfield partnership likely to be new and untested, they are unlikely to dominate possession enough entering the final quarter.
Take their final league game against Down. Sheehan’s contribution when he came on as a substitute just before half time was +2 because we can assume no other player would have kicked two of the extremely long-range frees that he did. The fact that he scored one from play would mean that another player would have to be directly responsible for at least 4+ points from play during that 40-minute spell to merit inclusion ahead of him. The absence of David Moran through injury underpins the argument for Sheehan.
Evidence suggests Cork have one on either side of the pitch. Daniel Goulding and Donncha O’Connor. The irony is that, until recently, Cork also had sufficient deputies for both, in Colm O’Neill and John Hayes. Cork management will be mindful of the need to fill this new gap in their arsenal. Watch for a swift elevation of left-legger Barry O’Driscoll from the U21 set-up to right corner forward on the B team for trial games. They will also likely keep Paul Kerrigan or Paddy Kelly tuned into the possibility of taking frees from the left hand side. To be fair, it appears to have always been a priority in the Cork set-up with different players tasked with the free-taking responsibilities for various league games, even when their first-choice dead ball experts were also playing.
Dublin have Mossy Quinn. A right-footer all the way, he kicks the ball very straight. This is not ideal when they have no left footer, given Conal Keaney’s departure to the hurlers. Dublin would certainly have forced a draw, if not won the league final had they a similar option from the other side. Other teams will have spotted this and Dublin are likely to be fouled aggressively on the right hand side should they not come up with an alternative. This could prove telling. Dublin could bite the bullet and hand the responsibility to Bernard Brogan who will take them from the hands with either his left or his right leg. However, Brogan’s long-range abilities in this context are untested. The possibility of long-range misses jeopardising Brogan’s overall form is a big risk for Pat Gilroy to consider. For this reason, Brogan may well stick to the short-range stuff and watch for the possibility of Gilroy asking their keeper Stephen Cluxton to come up more regularly for the long-range kicks. Cluxton had an exceptional record from 45s last year. It would be a pioneering tactic to get Cluxton forward for all the frees outside of 40 yards. Pat Gilroy is unlikely to care if the desired result is achieved.
Tyrone appear satisfied they have an optimum mix with Martin Penrose as a left-legger on the right hand side and Sean Cavanagh or Owen Mulligan as right-leggers on the left. They kick from the hands though and 45s can be an issue for them. An extra two points per game from the 45s would surely see them better placed.
OF course, it isn’t just a Gaelic football dilemma, the debate will go on. Neil Jenkins, David Beckham, even Rory Delap. Would any of these have as many starts under their belts were it not for their talents at set-piece? Or would any of the teams they played for have won as many games or competitions were it not for their free-taking capabilities? Would Cork have won the All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin or the final against Down were it not for the fact they had accomplished left and right-legged free-takers? The contribution of most players is subjective but that of a free taker is a lot easier to quantify.
