'Definitely a concern' - Cork boss Cleary says underage woes are hurting player confidence

CAUSE FOR CONCERN: Cork manager John Cleary is worried about underage trends.  Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Cork football manager John Cleary has said the county’s underage results of recent years are a “concern” and are contributing to players lacking confidence when graduating to the senior set-up.

Across minor and U20, Cork have managed just one Munster football crown over the past four years, that the minor victory of 2022. The wait for a Cork winner of the Corn Uí Mhuirí, meanwhile, extends back to 2011.

Cork’s margin of defeat to Kerry across the last four Munster U20 finals is eight points, while the two most recent Munster minor deciders ended in nine and 15-point winning margins for the Kingdom over their red neighbours.

This year's 0-18 to 0-9 provincial final reverse, back in May, represented Cork’s ninth consecutive championship defeat to Kerry across the U17 and U20 grades.

“There is a worrying downward trend in many of our underage football results,” noted the county board report into Cork football, which was circulated in July.

Cleary said there “is a lot more work” required with graduating Cork players who’ve been exposed to heavy beatings at underage.

“Definitely it is a concern,” the Cork boss remarked of minor, U20, and post-primary results.

“If that [underage] team isn't successful, you are not getting in guys cock-a-hoop coming into the senior panel. They've been maybe badly beaten in their own provincial championship, they are coming in with low confidence and there is a lot more work to try and do with them. Because they have been beaten at minor and U20, they can’t automatically step up and be winners at senior.

“In 2019 when they won the minor and U20, a lot of those guys are stepped up and in fairness they still have the confidence from those years, they are able to stand toe-to-toe at senior level.

“That's where the fear is, that if you are not successful at underage level, it makes it a way harder job then to try and get up and be competitive at senior level.” As a “Cork football person”, first and foremost, Cleary welcomed the conversation generated by the 2,000-word report and said solutions must now be sought.

“If you bury your head in the sand, it is not going to go away. There are an awful lot of genuine Cork football people out there. They are frustrated, as well, I think. They would love nothing better than to have successful teams at all levels of Cork football.

“What is the way to address it? You'll probably get 25 different viewpoints. Definitely I would say it is a concern and hopefully one that will be addressed and maybe get back to winning titles at underage, and that definitely will feed through to senior level.” 

Cleary confirmed Mark Keane is training with the Cork senior footballers while home in Mitchelstown on holidays. He returns to AFL outfit Adelaide Crows next month.