Jack Savage focused on Kerins O’Rahillys’ title tilt

STYLISH: Kerins O’Rahillys Jack Savage takes a free. Pic: INPHO/Ken Sutton

Jack Savage will be available for Kerry’s senior footballers in 2023 but says he is only thinking about Kerins O’Rahillys’ bid for All-Ireland club glory.

Savage, who was a temporary substitute in the Kingdom’s All-Ireland final win over Galway, has been commuting between Dubai and home to line out for Kerins O’Rahillys in recent months and met the majority of his All-Ireland-winning county team-mates in the UAE last week at the first stop of their team holiday. However, the 27-year-old is expected to be on Jack O’Connor’s panel following the end of the Strand Road club’s interests in the All-Ireland senior club championship.

“Yeah, that’s the plan,” he confirmed, but quickly redirected the conversation to O’Rahillys’ semi-final clash with Kilmacud Crokes. “We’re going to focus on the club scene now, we’re going to be up the walls. There’s a good block for three weeks to train hard and enjoy it and drive on for the semi-final. Hopefully, we can put up a good account of ourselves and winter football... anything can happen.”

Savage praised the club for funding his and Cormac Coffey’s return trips from Dubai as well as Gavin O’Brien’s from New York to line out in the blue and white.

“We’ve been privileged enough that the club have facilitated us coming over and back. We’re very grateful to them. We’ve a great club, a great community, first time having a Munster back in Kerins O’Rahillys ever. We’ve had a great few months. I met the (Kerry) boys in Dubai as well last week… It was a quiet night!”

Savage recounted how O’Rahillys were caught by Kilmurry-Ibrickane in the 2009 Munster Club SFC semi-final. In taking down Newcastle West captain Iain Corbett late on and incurring a second yellow card, he was keen for it not to happen again last Saturday.

“I remember I was in the stand back in ’09. It was a similar situation. It was a tight game and I had to take the foul near the end there because Corbett is a strong runner, he was going to go in on goal. I took the red card but it was ominous signs it was going to happen again but thank God, maybe luck is on our side this year.

“We’re going to keep riding that wave as long as we’re on it. It’s been a great journey with friends, family you grew up with, it’s unmatched. The buzz around the club is going to be great the next few days. It’s going to be great leading into Christmas.”