Hughes happy getting back to the grindstone

Darren Hughes doesn’t need the platitudes of the Australian players at next week’s pre-test team dinner to appreciate just how unique inter-county Gaelic players are.

He’s attended a couple of these get-togethers before — 2011 and last year. Enough to know the drill: you tell your Antipodeans the extent of your commitments as an amateur and they express astonishment.

He’ll politely ask the AFL player sitting beside him about his career but the professional sportsman’s life is something Hughes is familiar with. Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Aaron McCarey is a good friend and a Scotstown club-mate. McCarey too shakes his head at what is asked of top level Gaelic footballers compared to his day job.