Looney says Crokes well motivated for final step

Different season but it’s the same old 2012 that Dr Crokes started as they didn’t mean to go on.

Dejected was the most appropriate word to describe the Munster champions leaving O’Moore Park last February as they were reminded, for the second time in five years they are only the second best black and amber-clad football team in Ireland.

At the time, Crossmaglen’s victory appeared an arresting one, a reverse that looked to have serious damage to Crokes, especially with Harry O’Neill calling it a day shortly afterwards and, as his successor Noel O’Leary insisted, nobody wanting to be manager.

Instead, that three-point loss has helped propel them to a greater height.

Watching them this year, Crokes have attacked with relentless zest.

Forgetting their late collapse in Quilty, which came a week after winning a county final on an energy-sapping pitch, they have also looked so much more assured this season.

Naturally, with Castlehaven on the horizon, star attacker Brian Looney isn’t about to call Crossmaglen out for a rematch but admits the players have sourced inspiration from that difficult Saturday afternoon in Portlaoise.

“It is part of our motivation but I think there are a lot of other things that we are using as well. Bringing an All-Ireland title to the club is a huge one in itself, just as winning a Munster club is, especially in a county like Kerry.

“We just don’t want to let things slip and I suppose the defeat to Crossmaglen is just as much a motivation and in fellas’ minds as losing to them in the All-Ireland club final replay in 2007. It’s there a small bit is what I would say.”

What fills Looney with belief is how Crokes have managed to stay competitive in every competition they have entered despite coming off a long 2011-12 campaign.

“It’s been a long year for us. The end of last season fed into this one and we’ve been at it ever since. When you’re playing club football at this time of year, there’s only one thing for it and you’ve got to go for it. The appetite is definitely there.”

Dare it be said, Crokes are now more comfortable in their own skin outside of Kerry after a third consecutive county championship?

“The three in a row was great to do but I would say there was more freedom in how we played before we did it.

“The confidence in the players has come with the experience in recent years and that’s what helped towards doing the three in a row.”

Although he’s been in the US this past while, former Kerry coach Donie Buckley’s input has made a telling contribution to Crokes’ performances.

Looney doesn’t go into specifics but says: “Donie came in and gave us a bit of advice on things to do and his knowledge of the game is excellent. He was good on tactics and definitely had an impact on us playing as a team.”

The former captain has certainly played his part, typifying the go-forward mentality and was one of Crokes’ most consistent players over their recent batch of games in county and province.

“I’ve put a couple of good games together back to back. I set myself quite high standards so I’m never going to be 100% happy with any performance. If I can contribute to the team, whether it’s scoring, laying off a score or whatever, that’s what you need to be looking at.

“I might be coming up with a couple of scores here and there but if you look at them they’re down to hard work from the team. As long as you can contribute, that’s all that matters.”

Looney also takes heart from Crokes’ ability to overcome adversity in the players they have lost to late injuries prior to recent games, such as Eoin Brosnan, Fionn Fitzgerald and Ambrose O’Donovan.

“Compared to other years, I think we have a bit of strength in depth this year, which might have been there before but is certainly showing this year.

“We’ve got a good underage set-up and a couple of lads returning to the team.”

O’Leary gave his players last weekend off after a hectic schedule that saw them play Dingle, Kilmurry-Ibrickane and Clonmel Commercials over the space of four weeks.

Much has been made of how teams have gone out to negate Crokes’ forward line in Kerry but Looney fancies Cork’s Castlehaven have plenty of faith in their own style of football.

“We know it’s going to be a tough game. They beat a very good Duhallow side in the Cork final and when you beat a quality side like that, you can take a lot from it. It’s going to be close, the toughest we’ll have all year. The Kerry-Cork rivalry is there too so expect it’ll go down to the wire.”