CORK DUAL STAR Aidan Walsh has revealed he won’t be playing both codes next year and that he has a big decision to make over the next couple of weeks.
Having been a key part of the senior football squad since his debut in 2009, the former Young Footballer of the Year also linked up with Jimmy Barry Murphy’s hurling panel this year where they won a Munster title and lost out to Tipperary in the All-Ireland semi-final.
However, Walsh feels both his hurling and football suffered as a result of his dual status and it’s not something he plans to repeat in 2015. He admits it’s not going to be easy to choose one over the other.
“Overall this year was very difficult. It’s something I can look back on and say I did it, but I don’t think I have any intention of doing again it for the coming year or for the rest of my career.
“I’d say I’ll just try to focus on one of them. You can ask me the question which one will you play, but I don’t know yet. I’m weighing up the pros and cons of the whole thing because it’s a very hard decision to make, especially with Cork who are very strong in both of them (codes). There are two very strong panels and it’s a very hard decision to make and one I will have to really think about for the next few weeks.
“It’s whoever I feel I am most comfortable performing with or have most interest in. Not the main one, not the most important one, it’s all about the group, all about the manager and the back room staff. It will all have to be taken into account.
“This year was great. It’s always was great to be involved with both panels because they are both a terrific bunch of lads on both sides. That’s what makes it much harder to pick. My head will be wrecked now for the next few weeks I’d say.”
The 24-year-old was disappointing in the hurlers’ All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Tipperary and he says immediately after he was substituted in the second-half, he decided the dual status was something he had to give up.
“In the dressing-room, even when I came off the field and into the dug-out I put my head down and said ‘it’s not worth it’. Jimmy (Barry-Murphy) came over and shook hands and I said that I was sorry, that it hadn’t been good enough. We had played so well in the Munster championship and then not to perform against Tipperary wasn’t acceptable and wasn’t good enough.
“To put in such an effort all year and then leave yourself down on the big day with 70,000 people there and big, huge support from Cork was very disappointing. My response to that was ‘never again’; I’m not putting myself in that position again.”
A lack of preparation for big games was something the Kanturk man found particularly harmful to his performances.
“It was very difficult when it came to the All-Ireland series, especially when we won the Munster hurling and it was a massive high. Then I had to go back to the football. I played the Sligo game, I played the Mayo game (both football) and then I had two weeks to prepare for the Tipperary game (hurling).
“It’s not enough to prepare for an All-Ireland semi-final and my performance showed on the field – I was lethargic and tired and I just wasn’t up to the pace of it. I’m not blaming that totally on the reason that I played badly – that I didn’t get enough preparation – but it is certainly a factor in it. Looking back on it, the time wasn’t enough and the build-up wasn’t enough and that’s just the way it was.
“I found the football difficult as well for some reason even though I had been used to playing it all the time. I knew myself I wasn’t at the quality I was usually able to produce this year as opposed to other years.”
Wexford star Lee Chin revealed back in August that he felt the demands were too high to play both codes as the highest level and that’s something Walsh largely agrees with.
“I wouldn’t say it’s impossible but I would say it’s impossible to play both codes at 100 per cent so you’re not going to play at your full potential. That’s not possible in today’s game and the way it’s gone.
“At the back of your mind you’re thinking the other players in the squad are saying ‘how can this man do 50 per cent of the training and I do 100 per cent of the training and he’s on before me so there’s a bit of anger there.
“If I was in their position I’d be the same if a fella’s coming in for half the session and getting on the team. You’re only there for half the time so obviously your preparation can’t be great.”
One factor that may affect Walsh’s decision is the identity of the next senior hurling manager in Cork, after Jimmy Barry-Murphy’s three-year term in charge officially ended – but he may still remain in the post. Despite his young age, he says whatever code he chooses now, he is likely to stick with for the foreseeable future.
“At the moment there’s no Cork hurling manager. I’ll just have to wait and see what the story is. The football is ratified at the moment with the coach and stuff so I’ll have to wait and see how the hurling turns out and weigh up my options. It’s a big decision and you want to make the best one you can for yourself.
“My career now and the age I’m at, I’d say whatever one I pick could be the one. I can’t really say but I’ll try and stick with it for a few years and get the most out of myself and get to the best quality you can get to. That is just taking it year by year and game by game.
“Whatever code you pick, you mightn’t get on the team at all but we’ll see.”
