Kerry’s Stephen Wallace aims for more Croke glory

Stephen Wallace holds only fond memories of Croke Park.

Twice victorious there as a player with Ardfert in 2006 and ’07, Wallace returned to GAA Headquarters this February, now donning the bainisteoir’s bib, to steer his club to a third All-Ireland football crown.

This afternoon at Croke Park he’s bidding to climb the steps of the Hogan Stand for a fourth consecutive time, his bib coloured green and gold on this occasion.

“Luckily, I have a 100% record in Croke Park, but I suppose records are there to be broken,” said the Kerry junior football manager ahead of their All-Ireland final with Mayo.

“Croke Park never challenged me as a venue. It is where any footballer worth his salt should want to perform. It will have a lot of Mayo supporters there on Saturday and might appear to be like a home game for them. But we are going up to win a game of football and hopefully we will perform. We have got to be realistic and know that it’s not going to happen for everyone. The game may pass certain players by, that is the nature of the beast and while no young fella goes out to have a bad game, it’s not going to happen for everybody. We really have to go up and play the match and not the occasion, and forget that it is Croke Park.”

Whereas the 2014 team, second best to Cavan in the decider, featured former senior players and footballers of an older vintage, Wallace has this year opted to invest in youth with a view to handing emerging players big-match experience.

Dan O’Donoghue and Liam Kearney, members of last year’s All-Ireland minor winning side, are named at corner-back and midfield for the clash with Mayo. Three more – Jordan Kiely, Killian Spillane and Brian Sugrue – are included among the substitutes.

“We are trying to bring guys through who have a realistic chance of breaking into the senior squad.

“For guys coming out of minor, we wanted to use the junior grade as a learning ground for the U21s next year. It’s no secret that Kerry have been struggling at U21 level over the past number of years and bringing these younger players on is very much part of our objective. I think there are nine or 10 of the squad available to Jack [O’Connor] next year, so it keeps the lads playing football in the Kerry shirt.

“It helps them with their growth and development, and it keeps them on a learning curve as stats tell us that the biggest drop-out rate is in the 18 to 22/23 age group.

“This is a senior competition, although it is called junior football, and the younger lads are going up against grown men and what better way to become a man, in footballing terms, than to be playing at this level.”