Tipp boss Sheedy confirms Bonner Maher gone for season: 'He's such a loss to the Championship'
BONNER BLOW: Tipperary’s Patrick Maher, who is likely to miss the rest of the inter-county season after suffering a serious Achilles injury this week.
TIPPERARY manager Liam Sheedy has confirmed that Patrick 'Bonner' Maher will undergo an operation next week on a damaged Achilles injury that will rule the Premier 'warrior' out for the season.
Maher suffered the injury on Thursday night, and Sheedy admits that losing "one of our best warriors" for the season was 'a bitter pill to swallow'.
“He’s just a warrior, he’s such a loss to the championship," Sheedy told reporters. "The way he brought himself back (Maher suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2019) - he’s the fittest man on my panel. The way he’s applied himself since last January, it’s incredible.
“It’s tough on me, it’s tough on the lads, who probably felt they were representing him today. He’s at home watching that.
“He has dictated how we want the Tipperary attitude and Tipperary spirit to be for the last 13 years. Seeing the way he reacted, how unselfish he was - he just said, ‘there are people in worse situations than I’m in’. To see the way he was on that table the other night, my heart went out to him.
Speaking to TG4 in the wake of their 2-19 to 0-20 win over Galway at Semple Stadium, Sheedy said: "He's a pure leader, an inspirational person to be around. The lads were conscious he was at home watching today and he is still very much part of our family. The way he reacted to the injury on Thursday night is a real sign of the man's character - he showed fantastic spirit.
"It's a period of months not weeks. Bonner lights up the tv screens in every game, he brings a real energy to the pitch. His outlook, the way he reacted on Thursday, shows the calibre of the man, and it's a tough time for him. I've soldiered with him a long time and it's a real bitter pill to swallow."
He added: “He’s having surgery on Wednesday and it’s three or four months (recovery). I hope he can get back to a Lorrha jersey later in the year but if there’s one man who can come back it’s Bonner Maher, he’s incredible.
“You’ve all seen him often enough. He’s an awful loss to the game. It’s a tough pill to swallow for us because he’s a really integral part of our set-up. This is the second year out of three that he has missed with injury.
Tipperary GAA issued a brief statement ahead of the game: “Tipperary GAA wish to advise you that Patrick “Bonner” Maher sustained a serious Achilles Tendon injury at training on Thursday.
“He will now undergo surgery next week, which will be followed by a period of recovery. We look forward to seeing him on the playing field soon again.”
The 31 year- old, a three-time All-Ireland medallist, has come back from serious injury before, overcoming an ACL injury sustained in 2019 against Limerick.
Sheedy had better news of Seamus Callanan, who is expected to figure in Tipperary's next league game, against Westmeath: "Definitely he should be featuring, he’s moving in the right direction. He should be in contact this week which would give him a chance of starting Sunday week."
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