Forker's daydreams can wait, it's all about his process 

TASK-FOCUSED: Armagh captain Aidan Forker. Pic: James Crombie, Inpho

Visualisation of game scenarios is what Armagh performance coach Hugh Campbell and his ilk recommend but captain Aidan Forker will also frame in his mind the image of lifting the Sam Maguire Cup on Sunday.

The prospect of being presented it by a former Armagh skipper, GAA president Jarlath Burns, is an alluring one too. But to walk up the Hogan Stand step and emulate his manager Kieran McGeeney in 2002 is the focus.

“I think we've all seen it in our head,” he says of raising the silverware. “Listen, everybody is human. How would you not daydream about that? 

"You very quickly get yourself back to your KPIs (key performance indicators) and your process, as all the best sports psyches will tell you – get back to your process, back to your process. Because the outcomes sort themselves.

“So, of course, you daydream about it. But I've been daydreaming about it from when I was eight years old. That's neither here nor there, we have to go and win a football match. I think all of that stuff takes care of itself.” 

Forker readily admits he can fall foul of overanalysing. The obsession has consumed the 32-year-old in the past but 12 years on from his SFC debut he believes he can control it. “I think I'm surrounded by good people who recognise that in me.

“Look, a lot of us have been preparing for these big days for a long time. I'm long enough in the tooth now to know where I need to be mentally, physically, and all of those things in terms of my preparation. And I trust that.

“Then, on the day, when the ball is thrown in, it’s about your first ball, first pass, first tackle, first contact, first bit of communication. After that you're in the flow, you're in the moment. The crowd doesn't matter. Nothing matters.” 

Mention of Burns brings to mind how his son Jarly Óg almost wasn’t part of this Armagh journey when he stepped away from the panel before the start of the season only to return.

Armagh's Aidan Forker and Kieran Donaghy after the All-Ireland SFC semi-final match between Armagh and Kerry. Pic: Ray McManus, Sportsfile

“I did talk to him early in the season about it,” recalls Forker. “I actually ran into his dad at the All-Stars last year seeing what way he was feeling and giving him whatever time he needed to iron it out.

“I think it was never in doubt; he just needed a bit of time to himself. He’s steeped in the GAA, it’s part of his identity as a person being a footballer and I think he knows that now having a bit of time off (has helped), but he’s invaluable to this group as you saw (v Kerry), a top person and top player. Everyone knows that.

“He’s probably not getting as much game-time as he wants but that’s the way football goes and thankfully we have a brilliant group who are prepared to do whatever it takes for the group, to be as best as it can be and win stuff.” 

In the Irish Examiner football podcast last week, former Mayo manager James Horan spoke of Armagh’s style meaning they will never win or lose by too much. Forker doesn’t believe they can be so easily pegged.

“I think we can win by a lot too, I would take that as well! We had a good win over Derry too but I think every game takes on a life of its own, to tell you the truth. You get the rub of the green, something falls for you and you get an early goal and have a three or four-point cushion and you can kick on.

“And we were what five down (v Kerry)? And managed to claw it back by just carrying out what we were trying to do in terms of trying to generate scores so yeah we give ourselves every opportunity and we know when it goes down the stretch we have been there more so than most teams, we have practiced it a lot, we talk about it a lot. 

"I think if we are in the mix in any game going down the stretch we know it is there for us and we know the quality we have.”