Alan Quirke: Playing outfield key to a keeper's education

Former Cork goalkeeper Alan Quirke in action against Colm Cooper, 13, and Kieran Donaghy, Kerry. Picture: Brendan Moran/SPORTSFILE

Cork’s 2010 All-Ireland winning goalkeeper Alan Quirke does not believe his old position has become the quarterback role of Gaelic football.

Speaking during a Cork GAA goalkeeping webinar, Quirke was in no doubt about the evolution of the position in recent years, but not to the extent suggested in certain quarters.

“Sometimes, maybe, we take ourselves a little bit too seriously as goalkeepers,” said Quirke, “I know there is a lot of talk about it being the new quarterback position in Gaelic football and I think, maybe, that is taking things a little too far, because once you boil the skills of the goalkeeping position down, there are five principles of goalkeeping: kickouts, shot-stopping, handling, general football skills, and communication and organisational skills.

“The general football skills is something that has really come into play in the last decade whereby the goalkeeper is often used as an extra defender, particularly with attackers doing a full-court press nowadays on defenders.

“The corner-back might be under severe pressure down by the end line and he looks to give a short ball to the goalkeeper to get himself out of trouble, so then you have to be in a position to pick out a man out the field and possibly get an attack started.”

Six-time Munster winner Quirke said a “key part” of a goalkeeper’s development to potentially becoming one of the best in his trade is to play outfield at club or schools/colleges level. The aforementioned Cluxton and Morgan both play outfield for their respective clubs, as does Kerry number one Shane Ryan.

Also present on the webinar was former Cork goalkeeper, Billy Morgan. The 1973 All-Ireland winning captain said Paddy Cullen was the best goalkeeper he ever came up against, but it is another Dub, Stephen Cluxton, who he regards as the greatest Gaelic football goalkeeper of all time.

“Stephen Cluxton is probably the best of all time, in my opinion. He’s as good as I have seen at shot-stopping and the basics of goalkeeping, but what picks him out then is his kickout and his distribution.”