A year ago, Aaron Myers was Sars' top scorer, now he's fighting for a starting spot

Myers was a key part of the Sarsfields team which last year won their first Cork hurling title in nine years.

Thu, 03 Oct, 2024 - 06:22

Eoghan Cormican

No name on the county champions’ team sheet is sacred. No name is safe. Aaron Myers is proof enough of that.

27-year-old Myers was an absolutely integral component in the Sars machine last year. On the road to a first Cork hurling crown in nine years, Myers top-scored with 2-52. 2-12 of that total was struck from play.

On the defining day of the 2023 season, he was Sars’ lone scorer for 29 minutes of a first-half where county final opponents Midleton set the tempo and just about everything else.

It was his converted frees, of which he won one, and booming white flags from play that kept Sars in the hunt. It was his fourth point from play that ended Sars’ six-minute wait for a first second-half score.

In short, Myers put a lot of credit in the bank to carry forward to the 2024 season. It didn’t matter. Once he took flight for Boston in April, he gave up his No.15 shirt. He gave up free-taking duties too, for which Daniel Hogan has deputised superbly.

His name was wiped from the team sheet and he’d have to make several fresh lodgments to wriggle back into the first 15 names written down by Johnny Crowley. It’s a journey Myers is still travelling.

He returned home in June. On the opening weekend of the county championship, he lined out for the club’s second team in the Intermediate A championship. He announced his return with 2-7. In Rounds 2 and 3, he was used off the bench for the seniors, contributing a pair in the latter win over Bishopstown.

It was on his bucket list to get away. But he knew the cost to be paid was far more than an airline ticket.

“I had my mind made up last year that I was going to head away. Them thoughts that you are going to lose your place would obviously creep into your mind too, especially with the panel Sars have,” Myers remarked ahead of Sunday’s semi-final against Midleton.

Sarsfields' Aaron Myers and Imokilly's Ciaran O'Brien tussle for possession during the 2023 Cork Premier SHC semi final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Picture; Eddie O'Hare

“Coming back and seeing the league final, and everyone was hoping that night, I knew it would be a long road to try and break back into the 15. Still on that road really.

“There is no guarantee the next day either that I'll be in the starting 15. The lads have a serious headache. There are four or five lads on the bench that could be in or might not be in, we don't know.”

Three years ago, Sars dealt insufficiently with the four-week lay-off from group phase to semi-final. Top seeds again this season, Myers reckons the monkey-off-the-back county final win of last year has the group in a much healthier and more confident state coming in off this latest four-week break.

“For years, we weren't winning any knockout games. To be able to come through them last year and then be able to win the championship, it could stand to us a lot this year - knowing how to win. This is our first knockout game of the year on Sunday so we'll find out more then.”

He joined the panel in 2017. He was a kid looking in at the four county titles between 2008 and 14. That group was unable to do back-to-back. Back-to-back is very much a target of the current group.

“There'd be a bit of slagging saying, they never did the back-to-back. It is very rare a team goes back-to-back. We'll concentrate on Midleton first, and we can talk about back-to-back if we get through.”