MICHAEL CARTON IS happy to line out wherever he is needed — as long as he is in the starting XV.
The O’Toole’s man has been moved to full-back as new Dublin boss Ger Cunningham gets to grips with all of his options.
He is not the only player in unfamiliar surroundings this spring. Captain Johnny McCaffrey started alongside him in the corner in the Walsh Cup opener against DIT while Liam Rushe, an Allstar half-back, was in at full-forward.
“I’ve never played there before so it’s completely new to me,” Carton said. “It’s a new challenge and something new.
“I’ve the enthusiasm to play there. I want a starting place in the team so …”
The change has definitely taken him out of his comfort zone, he admits.
“Not just myself but Peter Kelly at centre-back and Liam Rushe at full-forward.
I think as a hurler you should be able to play anywhere. There are no complaints, you just get on with it.”
Cunningham’s Dubs take on Galway in the Walsh Cup final this Saturday, the Croke Park curtain-raiser before the footballers meet Donegal.
Nine points from David Treacy (eight frees, one 65′) helped them past Laois last weekend and Carton is looking forward to big things from the fit-again Cuala man.
“Treacy is a fantastic hurler. He has struggled with injuries and fitness in the past but he’s put in a huge effort off-season to come back right and so far he’s been flying in training and in matches.
“I think he’s going to be great for us this year.
He added: “The likes of Mark Schutte, Eamon Dillon, they’ve been on the outskirts of the team for the last few years and this year they’re flying it in training.
They really wanna nail down a position come the league and they’re doing a good job of it so far.
As for whether Cunningham will mould the Dubs to fit a possession-based game, Carton says it’s still far too early to tell.
“He hasn’t really come through with a specific gameplan as of yet. He wants to get to know us as hurlers. He’s taking a backseat and seeing how we’re getting on in hurling and training and matches so maybe later on a gameplan will come through.”
