No inter-county hurling role for Podge in 2015

Podge Collins will commit solely to the Clare footballers next season after Davy Fitzgerald informed him he can no longer accommodate dual players.

Along with his brother Sean who also featured on both panels this year, 2013 All Star Podge will work with his father Colm, manager of the county’s football team which narrowly lost to Kildare in July’s round two qualifier.

Neither Colm Collins nor Fitzgerald were available for comment yesterday.

However, it is understood Sean wasn’t expected to be on the hurling panel next year.

Sources close to Podge Collins say he was delivered an ultimatum by Fitzgerald. However, others have insisted last year’s All-Ireland winning manager outlined his reasons why he could no longer facilitate players with split commitments and encouraged the 22-year-old to focus on hurling.

In 2012, Collins stepped away from the footballers to concentrate on hurling but returned to dual playing this season when father Colm was appointed manager.

Colm Collins is believed to have been quite happy to share the talents of his son again although there were reservations about the amount of access the hurlers had to him.

This season was a difficult one for Podge Collins. He was sent off in the drawn qualifier against Wexford for pulling the faceguard of David Redmond and was suspended for the subsequent replay, which Clare lost in Wexford Park.

On The Sunday Game this summer, Dónal Óg Cusack suggested Collins needed to quit football, a remark which angered his father.

“I don’t want to say a whole pile about it. I’m just extremely disappointed in Dónal Óg Cusack,” said Colm Collins.