BRIAN HURLEY WAS excited at the prospect of partnering Ciaran Sheehan in a Cork football full-forward line, until injury forced the 2010 All-Ireland winner to retire from the inter-county game this week.
Hurley is one of the few Cork players who got to line out with Sheehan before he moved to the AFL at the end of 2013 and felt there was glimpses of that form in evidence in the early stages of this season.
“I’m sure you can remember him before he went to Australia, he was deadly. In the air, no one could compete with him. I remember in Killarney, the Munster final ’13, he came on at half-time and caught four or five in the air. I think I got two (points) off him. He’d just do all the donkey work for you, and pop it to you. I’d the easy part to do.
“Obviously, Australia came calling then. There’s probably no option, in a way.
“I’ve seen stuff in the last four or five months, that you wouldn’t have seen, in training and challenge games. I was excited. I was only saying to him a couple of weeks ago when we played two challenge games, and some of the things he did. I was excited to be playing with him, partnering him for the next day. Unfortunately, the medical advice, it didn’t go his way. He picked up and injury against Clare.
“I know Ciaran personally. On and off the field, what a guy. When I first came in to the seniors in 2012, in fairness, himself and Aidan Walsh were brilliant to us.
“Other lads, you’d have to prove yourself to them, the old Cork stubbornness way. The two boys, every small thing, they’d help you along with. They were just brilliant.”
Sheehan has followed defender James Loughrey and forward Paul Kerrigan into retirement in the off-season. Cork are gearing up for their Munster opener on 10 July against Limerick or Waterford, who play each other in this Saturday’s quarter-final.
Hurley is confident they can cope with that loss of experience.
“Ciaran’s a massive loss. He had no choice in the matter. What he’s brought to Cork football is something that I want to do next, if that makes sense. I’ve been training with the lads since 2012. The whole squad has changed since.
“You see the old school way, and the new way, and you want to get a mix of that across the board. We have plenty of other leaders. Magsy (Ian Maguire), (Mark) Collins – there are some serious leaders in our group.
“It’s all about championship, and we’re looking forward to it.”
- Brian Hurley was speaking today at Cork’s sponsors Sports Direct’s #BornToPlay campaign.
