Keaney: We must wise up to avoid reds
The Dublin star saw his fellow half-forward Ryan O’Dwyer dismissed in the semi-final against Cork for a second yellow card, which followed Pa Horgan and Henry Shefflin’s dismissals earlier in the summer.
“I think you’ll have to be a bit smarter,” said Keaney, promoting his company CP Adventure. “You can’t go rushing into tackles headless as in the past where you maybe could have got away with it.
“But now referees are picking up on absolutely everything and they’re under pressure to make decisions and obviously the football has had a small sway on things in that they can’t be seen to let too much go.
“The game is moving on and it’s all about speed and pace and moving the ball as fast as you can. Tackling is becoming a smaller part of that, especially with the way Clare play.
“Everyone is conscious of the tackles but you can’t get away from what makes you a good player or a good team. You have to take it to the line every time, but you can’t cross it now because when you do you’ll get punished.
“Maybe there were harsh sending-offs last year like Ryan’s, but that’s the way it’s going and you have to move with it. If players at this level are good enough and intelligent enough they can develop their games to adapt to it.”
Like his manager Anthony Daly, Keaney sees no reason for the black card to be introduced to hurling as much as there have been signals from GAA officialdom that it may happen.
“Hurling and Gaelic [football] are totally different games. Cynical fouling happens in all sports but it really isn’t in hurling to the degree it is in football.”
Keaney is bemused at the motion going to Congress, which calls for all penalties and 20m frees to be taken before the 20m line.
“I think it’s a skill in itself and it’s an art if you can master it. Not many people can do it. Looking back years ago, Declan Ryan with Tipperary was doing it and nobody thought anything of it then. They just thought it was a great way of taking frees.
“Obviously, [Anthony] Nash has taken it to another extreme but I have no problem with it. I’d try it myself if I thought I could do it to that degree. It works for him and not many players can do it.
“It is easier for him coming up with a goalie’s stick twice the size of everyone else’s, but that’s the way it is and it doesn’t bother me in the slightest at all.”
Keaney, last year’s club hurler of the year in the capital, is enthused by Dublin’s preparations ahead of their opening game of the season, a Walsh Cup quarter-final against UCD.
“A good lot of challenges under our belts and a good lot of new lads in the panel. They have huge potential and all very skilful and athletic, which makes a change for young lads coming through because they’re usually either one or the other.”
He is convinced the reigning Leinster champions’ 2014 won’t be a fallow season similar to 2012 when they came off a Division 1 title the year before.
“For ourselves, we learned so much from that year that I don’t think it’s going to happen again this year.
“We’re sticking to what we believe in and we’re not moving away from that. In 2012, it didn’t really matter what happened in the Walsh Cup or the league — we were all focused in on that championship day against Kilkenny. That was totally wrong on our part.
“Everyone wants to get to September but it’s the little steps along the way and if you’re not producing the goods each time you won’t get there. We’re not shy in saying we’re going to try and win every game, whether it’s a challenge or championship.”
* Conal Keaney’s company, CP Adventure, provides outdoor activities in Dublin and Wicklow for team and group development. They include kayaking, sailing, cliff-jumping, rock-climbing, Segway tours as well as night-time bike tours in the Dublin mountains. Both Dublin panels have enjoyed the experience. CP Adventure is taking bookings for school tours and kids’ camps for Easter and summer. Visit www.cpadventure.ie or follow @cpadventuredl on Twitter.
It’s likely only one recording of Sunday’s Dublin-DCU O’Byrne Cup will be available to the sub-committee investigating a reported biting incident.
Both teams have been asked by the Leinster Council’s sub-committee for unedited video footage of the game in Parnell Park. However, it’s understood the same individual recorded the game for both the All-Ireland champions and the university.
On Wednesday, the province’s Competitions Control Committee (CCC) established a sub-committee to investigate the possible altercation, which was mentioned by referee David Gough in his match report although he did not see it.
The group are expected to report back to the CCC next week.
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