Great feeling being back in the Kerry squad, says Brick

Absence certainly makes the heart grow fonder.

Just ask Kerry hurler Shane Brick who played his first inter-county game in over 18 months last Sunday.

As January comebacks go, it was certainly one for the Kilmoyley man to remember who scored 0-12 in Kerry’s first ever Waterford Crystal Cup win over IT Tralee (1-20 to 1-12).

“It was a long time since I last played for Kerry, in the 2010 National League, so to be out there in the swing of things with the lads is a great feeling,” Brick said.

“I got back playing for my club last year but it was just too late in the day for Kerry.”

A slow-to-heal hip injury sidelined him for almost a year, costing Brick his place in Kerry’s historic Christy Ring Cup winning team last season. The classy forward is anxious to make up for lost time. “It was frustrating to just be watching on last year especially when all you want is to play. It was the bones of 12 months that I was out for, and I did miss it.”

Kerry hurling boss John Meyler remarked it was good to have the attacker back in harness: “It’s good to have Shane Brick back. He led the line well and his general play was very good. It’s important to have him there.”

Crossing his fingers that this will be an injury-free season, next up for Kerry is a Waterford Crystal Cup quarter-final against Jimmy Barry Murphy’s Cork this weekend.

“That’s not going to be easy. We all know how good Cork are. But you can only improve by playing teams that are better than you. It’s good to be playing at a higher level and it will give us a real indicator of just where we are,” Brick said.

“Kerry hurling is on an upward curve at the moment. We have been in the last two Christy Ring Cup finals, winning the competition last year and we have made real strides. There are some very talented young hurlers coming through. This year, we need to step it up and improve. That’s what it’s about for us now.”

Facing into a testing National League Division 2A campaign against Westmeath, Carlow, Down, Derry and Wicklow, Brick accepts it’s going to be extremely competitive.

“The league will be tough. We have two goals ahead of us this season, for the league and the Christy Ring Cup, and we know what we have to do to achieve them,” he said.

“ You’re never going to be flying in January. It’s all about getting games as a player and as a team, gelling as a unit. There will be bigger days ahead.”