WHEN THE BOARD went up to announce the substitution in the finale of last month’s thunderous collision between Dublin and Kerry, Paul Geaney was caught unaware.
It had been an afternoon where the 25 year-old was a problem that the Dublin defence could not find a solution for. He bagged 1-4 and had been a general attacking menace, one of the principal reasons why Kerry were pushing Dublin to the brink.
But Eamonn Fitzmaurce opted to call him ashore in the 66th minute, a move that has sparked plenty debate in the aftermath of Kerry’s defeat.
“I suppose I had a bit more to contribute. The only surprise in it was that it was Marc that came on. I was expecting to see a back running off and I was thinking, ‘Why isn’t a back going off here?’
“I was looking at Aidan O’Mahony because he went over to Aidan O’Mahony and I was thinking, ‘Is O’Mahony going the long way around here in the Cusack or what’s the story?’
“I realised then a couple of seconds later it was actually someone else and I was looking over and nobody was moving so I said, ‘It must be me’.
“But none of the boys around me were saying it was me either so it was kind of confusing at the time.”
Yet while there may have been plenty supporters mystified by the move and have criticised Fitzmaurice for it, Geaney has no qualms with his manager. Those judgement calls in frenetic games are his to make.
Fitzmaurice did concede in an interview on RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta this week that withdrawing the Dingle sharpshooter may have been a mistake.
“I was taken off, it happens like. I didn’t really think about it that much until after the game.
“He just said it was a tactical change when I came off. And it clearly was a tactical change that he felt needed to be done.
“If Eamonn feels that he wants to state that he made a mistake, fair play – it takes a man to admit a mistake. I don’t think he needed to.
“He gave me the explanation that it was a tactical change and that was enough for me. We all row in behind Eamonn. He’s the manager for a reason.”
This week’s confirmation that Fitzmaurice is going to stay at the helm provides continuity for Kerry. It was the Finuge man who in his first season in charge handed Geaney his championship debut in 2013 against Cavan.
Since then Geaney’s career graph has travelled firmly in one direction as he has risen to be a focal point in the Kerry attack.
“(I’m) delighted to see him coming back on board. The players would do anything for Eamonn and vice-versa so it’s good to have him back.
“He mentioned it in a session (during the summer) that he was staying on and we took it that it was for the year but it’s great that it’s two years.”
Geaney will hope that this career best summer will be a springboard as he assumed the mantle of scoring leadership in 2016. Curing injury problems last winter was essential to his progress.
- 0-5 (0-1 free) v Clare, Munster semi-final
- 2-3 v Tipperary, Munster final
- 0-3 (0-1 free) v Clare, All-Ireland quarter-final
- 1-4 v Dublin, All-Ireland semi-final
“It’s something I’ve always tried to do since I’ve come into the Kerry senior forwards. I’ve wanted to be the main forward.
“I’ve tried to be a nailed on starter and be a player that, you know, you can’t take him off because he’s so valuable to the team on the field.
“It was something I really wanted to push for this year because year on year I think I’ve been improving, as a Kerry player.
“It (injuries) did hold me back a bit last year. I was doing a lot of work in fairness with Colm Fuller and his crew out in Santry, the sports surgery clinic.
“He got me in perfect nick and rehabbed both my injuries, the shoulder and the back, to perfection. He got it to the best shape I’ve been in and that played a massive role in getting me to the form I was in this year because I was training at peak and then when it came to the big games I was giving my best.”
That’s the positive news for Geaney but the pain of the Dublin defeat has not been soothed.
He was back in the club mix with Dingle last Sunday for a county league game against Castleisland Desmonds. The raw hurt from the loss to Dublin the week before still lingered.
“I still haven’t really snapped out of it to be honest. The first half wasn’t too great but the second-half we grew into the game a small bit. It kind of helped alright.
“For me it’s tougher to take because I thought we were going to have an All-Ireland final. I was convinced that we were going to win. That’s the toughest one for me.
“After the final whistle in Croke Park that day, the year was finished. For me it felt premature. That was the toughest thing for me to take.
“It was extremely hard (to watch the last few minutes). Nearly a feeling of “I want to shoot in here”.
“When you’re in the form I was in, and see Peter (Crowley) breaking on to it, I’d love to be beside him taking that pass off him and having a shot.
“The rest of the forwards on the bench were saying I’d love to be in that position. It was tough for everyone in the whole stand who had a Kerry jersey on, a Kerry crest.
“Everybody was available for selection (before) and we’d a month of training with more or less every guy on board. We’d a good month of tactical work and intense trainings. We were pretty well in good shape and pretty well primed for it.”
Yet they hit a Dublin roadblock again and Geaney can’t help but tip his hat in the direction of their conquerors.
“They’re a phenomenal team, they play with serious intensity. Last year maybe, after the final, I was still thinking we were better than them.
“We didn’t produce it on the day but we produced it the last day and they beat us fair and square, so at the moment they’re the best team that I’ve ever played against.
“As intensity in games go, the only other game that rates as highly is the game against Mayo in Limerick in 2014.
“So Mayo have it in them to beat Dublin. (But) until Mayo proves that wrong or someone else proves that wrong, Dublin are the best team in the country and everyone else has their work cut out to beat them.
“Constantly, time after time, they just produce the goods.”
Geaney is bracing himself for a spell hearing about Dublin’s superiority over Kerry. Working in the family bar in Dingle, it’s impossible to avoid customers eager to chat about Gaelic football.
“Last week I was back to work on Tuesday and you had a few Dubs in and a few other people from around the country and around the county talking about the game and stuff.
“At that stage you’re still kind of in mourning from it and it’s tough to listen to because you’re after going through everything in detail yourself already at that stage.
“Sometimes it is hard to listen to other people’s opinions when you’re not ready for it, but that’s the nature of it.
“The Dubs are great craic in fairness. They’re hopping ball. They were coming in all summer and I was telling them we were going to beat them all summer and I’m eating my words at the moment, but that’s the way it goes.
“It’s good old banter most of the time inside in the bar anyway so it’s great to meet people as well.”
And when the start of the 2017 campaign comes around, Geaney feels confident that Kerry are well-placed.
“There’s loads of footballers in Kerry, loads of fellas willing to put their lives on hold so we are very well equipped.
“We had two new guys into the team this year; Tadhg Morley and Brian and they are young. Brian is only 20/21 and there’s more guys like them there. There was the couple of good minor teams in the last two years.
“You don’t know with underage teams will they produce the goods or not, so hopefully our Kerry minor teams will come along.
“There’s always going to be footballers in Kerry so it’s comforting to know that you are under pressure from January on to get your jersey again next year.”
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