Let’s hope Fitzy’s revelation will do some good

Discipline was something Davy Fitzgerald demanded from the very outset of taking charge of Clare.

From his perspective, it hadn’t been up to scratch in a lot of the years before he took the helm in October 2011. He was aware some who wore the saffron and blue had earned party animal reputations similar to those gained by a few of Donegal’s footballers prior to Jim McGuinness becoming manager. Alcohol bans were introduced but with the agreement of players.

Last year, one player spoke privately of not having drank alcohol from St Patrick’s Day until September. He mentioned it not as an accomplishment but a commitment to his hurling.

The night of the drawn All-Ireland final against Cork, instead of keeping tabs on his players, Fitzgerald allowed them to let their hair down. He later said they had earned it and mentioned he had retired to bed early so they could enjoy themselves without having to look out for him over their shoulders.

The majority, though, nursed the same glass for hours, and he was gladdened if not surprised there weren’t any sore heads the following morning. At that stage, trust was the camp’s bond. To skip rungs on the ladder, a culture change was not preferable but needed. The example set by an underachieving side could not be replicated.

His revelation yesterday that he was aware players during the mid-2000s were taking “even harder stuff than drink” would be startling if no other inter-county or club team in the country could relate to it.

If his message resonated with his audience of teenagers in Limerick, then his speech has been a success. It certainly has with Clare.