Battler John McGrath still has eyes on Croker

John McGrath could be forgiven for feeling like he’s entering the new year as a free man with the Wicklow footballers.

Struck down with leukaemia in 2011, it was only last summer the exciting forward who turns 30 this month received the landmark five-year all-clear news.

If he’s entirely honest, the start of 2017 doesn’t feel much different to any other year though with the Baltinglass man revealing how he immediately filed that torturous period away to a folder marked forgotten.

The diagnosis came in February of 2011 and the following October he returned to the Wicklow panel vowing not to allow his life to be controlled by fear and backwards glances.

“Last summer, my final check up out of remission, it was all 100%,” said McGrath. “From my point of view, I think when I came out of hospital I was done with it.

“I’m very positive and kept very positive with everything that happened from my diagnosis to my recovery.

“I think within the first year it was done and dusted for me. If someone asked me even in the second year after it, ‘how are you feeling?

“How are things? I haven’t seen you in a while’, my reaction was like now, ‘grand, I had the ‘flu last week’ or whatever might have happened recently but it (cancer) was out of my mind at that stage. Thankfully the doctors confirmed that as well in the summer just gone with the last check up. Everything is good. It was ‘don’t worry about it ever again really’.”

McGrath believes his positive outlook was vital in overcoming leukaemia, acknowledging straight off he was fortunate to have caught the deadly disease early and he was one of the lucky ones.

He is eyeing 2017 and the season ahead with Wicklow with the same sort of can-do spirit, even if Wicklow are one of just two counties who have never won a provincial title and appear unlikely to do so anytime soon.

Wicklow play Meath on Sunday in the opening round of the Bord na Mona O’Byrne Cup and attacker McGrath sees it as an early opportunity to lay down a marker.

“I’m probably too optimistic, thinking I can win this, that and the other but I still haven’t given up the hope of playing in Croke Park on Leinster final day,” he said. “I know that’ll be laughed at but if you’re not reaching for those levels then why bother? The thoughts of Division 4 this year is exciting.

“There’s going to be a little bit more of a push with Wicklow this year, as in financially as well. It’s a case of if we get the players happy we’ll see a greater reward on the pitch as well.

“The thoughts of missing out on any of that, well, I’d hate to step away. We always say your football career is only there for a very small period of your life and I have no doubt I’ll give as much as I can for as long as I can.

“I think it’s only when it’s taken away from you as it was for me in 2011 you realise how much you love it and how you’d hate to have to sit back and think ‘Jeez, what would I do if I couldn’t play?’ Every year I think I’ll keep going back until my legs say ‘no’.”