More than height and heft to Dublin totem Hedgo

Dublin's John Hetherton with his sons, from left, Jack, age 2, Jamie, age 3 months, and CJ, age 4. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

There's a picture halfway up the stairs in the Parnell Park pavilion of the Dublin squad that won the 2013 Leinster SHC.

Standing in the back row is a young John Hetherton, the team's water carrier, with his father, Ciarán, one of Anthony Daly's selectors, also included in the picture.

Daly always referred to Ciarán, his trusted lieutenant, as 'Hedgo' and 13 years on, the son who has enjoyed such an Indian summer to his career goes by the same moniker.

Given his impact since Niall Ó Ceallacháin took over - Hetherton has featured in 16 of the 20 League and Championship games under the Dublin manager - he is a player that Clare will have done extensive homework on ahead of tomorrow's National League Division 1B final.

From the 2-3 on his first Championship start last summer, against Wexford, to his goal in the landmark win over Limerick, to the 4-8 he has plundered in just four League starts this term after returning late following the birth of his third child, he has given the Dubs a brand new cutting edge.

Which makes you wonder, why did the now 34-year-old full-forward only make three Championship appearances, all as a sub and adding up to less than 30 minutes, prior to O Ceallacháin's arrival in the hotseat?

"I'm not privy to those reasons," said Ó Ceallacháin of why previous managers largely overlooked the St Vincent's man. "But what I do know is that this whole thing means so much to him. He's a brilliant lad and he has unique abilities that are priceless. And I would also say that he's a better player now than he was seven, eight, nine years ago."

It's hard to argue with that one after watching the six-foot-five powerhouse lead the line so superbly across the latter half of Dublin's 1B campaign.

"He's done a lot in the last year or two as regards making sure he's where he needs to be from a conditioning perspective," said Ó Ceallacháin. "And I think experience is a huge thing too. Once you're in the right physical shape, which he is, then that calmness that only experience can bring can have a huge impact on a player.

"The other thing is he always had the hands for it. You can see that his hands still are outstanding, but they always were. But I would say the work he's done to have himself in the physical condition that he is, that's hugely important. And then I wouldn't underestimate the value of experience as regards him being able to impact big games."

Maybe Hedgo was simply pigeon-holed as a target man with little more to offer before Ó Ceallacháin's arrival for the 2025 season. 

He's proven that he's so much more than that. 

His second point against Carlow in Dublin's last group game, scored after a great catch from Paddy Doyle's delivery, underlined how good he is in the air. 

But he fired over his third from much further out and his fourth, struck whilst falling back and contorting his wrists to get a shot away off his left side, spoke to a high and perhaps underrated skillset.

"You see a few of those players around the place, who have that physical threat inside," said Ó Ceallacháin. "But really, to have that threat and to execute on it, you do need excellent hands as well. For Hedgo, there's no doubt about it, his hands are excellent. He's very good in the tight. It's not a coincidence that when he does get an opportunity, he tends to take it."