Brady: Beating Meath would be really special

LEINSTER SFC FINAL:

A member of Anthony Daly’s Dublin hurling squad at one time, he switched codes to join up with Jim Gavin’s boys late in 2012 and promptly sat sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury the following summer as both squads collected Leinster senior medals.

The Na Fianna player had succumbed to the same injury only two years before when challenging Galway’s Joe Canning in a Leinster hurling semi-final. The second time around it was an innocuous incident in training. The result was much the same. That’s two summers from three wiped off his CV.

So, while provincial medals are anything but a collector’s item around the capital these days, Brady is one of those for whom victory in Sunday’s Leinster football decider would be a seminal moment and due reward for his perseverance. “Especially a Meath/Dublin final,” he pointed out. “It would be really special to get [a medal] playing. Meath are a proud footballing county so to get one over on them would be really special.”

Injury isn’t the only reason he has had to bide his time.

Brady played no part in Dublin’s provincial quarter-final defeat of Westmeath last year, though he was yet to do his knee again at that point, and his input this summer has been restricted to one cameo slot against Wexford.

He made the most of what he was offered, claiming two late points as the game opened up, but his decision to plump for the footballers was not the most obvious even if silverware is more likely in that field.

Brady was 25 when he made the move, an established full-back for Daly who described his switch as “very disappointing”, and it came at a time when Dublin were filtering streams of gilded young talent onto its football panel.

Why, then, take that risk? “There’s always competition there. We’d have it no other way. But obviously if you’re playing at this level, you have belief in your own ability. Guys wouldn’t be here if they didn’t have that belief.

“But, no, it’s something that … there’s always expectation there and it sits well with lads, they’re comfortable with that. The talent is second to none, but guys know that if you do perform well you’ll get your chance.”

Brady had played U21 football as well as hurling with Dublin, but that was back in 2006 and 2007. His big ball experience in the meantime had been with the club while overtures from former Dublin manager Pat Gilroy had been turned away.

He describes his decision to ultimately accept Gavin’s advances as a “now or never” moment but, with the summer that is in it, he has found himself asked why he couldn’t have a crack at both codes, as has been the case in Cork and Clare.

His reasoning is sound and encouraging.

As a quantity surveyor, he has experienced a marked uplift in work of late and the chances of being able to juggle two top-class sports were never possible what with builders “screaming” at him all day long.

“It’s a difficult one for me personally. I don’t think it would be possible. With work commitments there’s probably not that flexibility there. Technically, I think the sports at this level are very different as well.

“Especially at this level the demands are so high. The recovery time in between games, you need that so I certainly think it would be very difficult. In saying that, possibly if you were a student and had more time on your hands it might be feasible.”