WHEN SEAMUS CALLANAN landed on the Tipperary senior stage in 2008, there was a natural leader in the attack to gravitate towards.
Eoin Kelly’s importance to the county’s fortunes was clear as the designated free-taker, a scoring source from play and a model of general inspiration for the team.
For a forward learning his trade, Callanan found Kelly a mine of information. In 2010 Kelly was captain when Tipperary made their Liam MacCarthy Cup breakthrough, by 2014 the offensive mantle had shifted to the younger Drom-Inch man in what transpired to be the established Mullinahone figure’s last in a playing role.
Last year Callanan was the main man – captain, goal-scoring machine and bestowed with the tag of the best hurler in the country as Tipperary reigned. Kelly was there in the background, a component of Liam Sheedy’s sizeable backroom team who helped with bits and pieces of their attacking interplay and passed on tips for placed ball striking.
In December it was announced that Kelly’s responsibilities would grow for 2020 as he moved into a selector position in the Tipperary camp.
And Callanan can only see benefits in getting to work more closely with the victorious captain from a decade ago.
“Eoin is fantastic. Any chance you can have someone like Eoin Kelly in your dressing room, it’s brilliant for us all because of the immediate respect he’d have just from being a legend. He’s probably an idol to every single one who’s in the dressing room.
“He’s been a great leader and I’ve got the chance to share the dressing room with him which was an absolute honour and to get to do it again now and to learn from the best can only be a benefit to all of us.
“When I was growing up, Eoin was my idol and you just try to copy his game really and try to be like him. In his final year, I’d be practising frees and he’d be behind the goal hitting the ball out, he’s that kind of a humble fella which is great.
“He’s still always there, he’s still always trying to learn and trying to be better. He’s a huge influence on us, he’s a huge positive influence because his leadership skills in the dressing room were incredible in 2010, and in the years before and after that.”
Callanan feels that Kelly’s influence will be particularly beneficial for the recent underage winners filtering through to Tipperary’s senior squad.
“You’re always going to try and pick up little bits of information from him because, well he doesn’t know it all, but he’s been through it all.
“I just think he’s going to be really valuable for players like myself and even more so for players like Jake Morris, Mark Kehoe, the inside forwards, he’s going to be huge for us. We got a few snippets of how good he could be for us last year and now he’s in a full selector role so he can only be a huge help.”
Tipperary have also retained the services of Eamon O’Shea. He was involved in a support capacity last year but has now been handed the official title of performance director.
“I wouldn’t have half the career I’ve had only for Eamon O’Shea. He’s a huge influence in my life and just to have him in and around the set-up. It’s great to have him involved.
“We’re very privileged to have the complete backroom team that we have. It’s great to have Liam involved and he’s set up a backroom team around him that is exceptional. We’re very lucky to be players at this time.”
And Tipperary are also hopeful to get Bonner Maher back as a playing option during this year’s campaign.
“Unfortunately we’ve had a number of guys who’ve had the knee injury over the last few years,” outlined Callanan.
“So he’s taking advice from the experts and the physios and working with the S&Cs. I’m sure he’s been in contact with the likes of Brendan, Conor Hammersley as well last year did the knee, Michael Cahill.
“They’re all talking to each other about it. Thankfully I have no experience of that injury, but all I know is that Bonner is in the shape of his life, and he’s coming back with great strength. It was never going to be in doubt really, because he’s the type of guy that when he puts his mind to something, like his recovery to his training, he’ll always be trying to better himself and get back stronger than he ever was.”
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