Maher hitting the heights as Kingdom wintering well
Duagh’s Anthony Maher, back in the county jersey after helping his club to a first North Kerry championship success in 50 years, was the man in question. Unfortunately, it has become an all-too-rare sight in a sport where breaking the ball is now the preferred method.
Should the traditionalists in Kerry be worried then? Is this something Maher and his team-mates have been working on?
“I think at this time of the year it’s more about building up relationships, knowing where fellows are and things,” said Maher, who is in the final phase of his PhD in pharmaceutical chemistry, to be completed once the football season is over.
“Ideally you would like to be catching the ball but that’s not always on. Sometimes when you catch it, there are three or four fellows around you and you can’t get rid of the ball. Anyway it comes, you deal with it. This time of the year, it’s McGrath Cup, and you just want to build up relationships and be able to slip it to fellows in better positions.”
Maher’s midfield partner on Sunday was another man returning to the fold and making his 2013 debut, Caherciveen’s Bryan Sheehan, defying medical prognosis and making an early return from injury.
“I suppose that’s a credit to the medical team, to have him out there so fast,” said Maher.
“It’s good to have him back and certainly in the middle of the field — and I think all over the field — there is serious competition for places now. I think there are two or three guys competing for each position and that’s the way to have it. The day you know you’re on the team for sure is the day that you’re in trouble because it’s not healthy.”
Certainly Maher can’t afford to rest on his laurels. While he and Sheehan were out, Kerry had big wins over IT Tralee and UCC, with Kieran Donaghy and John Buckley impressing in midfield. A nervous laugh greets the suggestion that he might now be worried.
“It’s great really because the worst thing in the world is when you’re going into training knowing that you’re playing the weekend.
“It’s human nature not to want to push yourself to the very limit. But when you know there’s a fella looking for your jersey, and he’s on your back the whole time, you have to then go to your limit. That’s great, brings out the best in everyone.”
On his own impressions of the new setup under Eamonn Fitzmaurice, Anthony couldn’t be more impressed.
“It’s brilliant, everything is in place. It’s now just for everyone to get down to business and do their work.
“In terms of physical training, medical, everything is there, everything is provided for us, it’s just up to players on the panel now to get stuck in.
“It’s not about looking forward to September, it’s about taking every game as it comes. The last few training sessions, even before the UCC game, it was about progression, from IT Tralee to UCC to Limerick and now Tipperary this weekend. That’s the way you have to look at the year, take each game as it comes and try improve. The management are bringing in new ideas all the time, we’re trying to improve on those ideas.”
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