ANTHONY NASH HAS hailed the work of Ballygunner’s lead analyst Sean O’Donnell in helping the Waterford club to All-Ireland success last Saturday.
A late goal from substitute Harry Ruddle was enough to secure the All-Ireland Club Championship for Ballygunner in Croke Park and break three-in-a-row chasing Ballyhale’s hearts.
Speaking on The42′s GAA Weekly podcast, Anthony Nash highlighted the role of Sean O’Donnell, who is also lead analyst with the Limerick hurlers having previously worked for Cork.
“Sean O’Donnell is actually involved with them. The stats guy who was with Cork initially and now with Limerick. Sean is far more than a stats man. He is a pure hurling man as well. He has been with Ballygunner for a long time.
“I was delighted for him when they got over the line. You could see his fingerprints all over the team. I know people listening are probably sick of the buzzword, the process, all that kind of stuff.
“Every cycle of words, process and sticking to it but they really did. You could see he had them drilled so well with the management team. There was no panic. When you have a free-taker like Pauric Mahony, you could not buy him on a transfer market. Whenever the game gets hectic he always seems calm and composed.
“For me, you could see Sean and the intercounty experience Ballygunner bring, especially Pauric Mahony. Stick with it instead of hoofing it and hoping for the best. Have Peter Hogan work through the hands and off they went.
“I could see the approach to the game, holding their lines in the half-back line and I thought that was Sean all over, on top of their management team.”
The performance analyst left the Cork set-up after the 2017 season to link up with John Kiely.
“For anyone who doesn’t know, Sean O’Donnell is the GOAT stats man. He is not just that. He gets the game. Sean is going to be an excellent manager or coach of a team eventually.
“He was a massive loss to us. He brought gameplans. He brought ideas. They were all based on figures that were correct. it was not that he’d bore you to death. He would pull you away for a minute and a half, show you ten clips that would reinforce it. Job done.
“He understands hurling. A lot of stats people come in from other sports, might just be there for figures. This guy got the game.
“He was with us in Kanturk when we won an All-Ireland intermediate. He was with Cork. Now with Limerick and Ballygunner. I would love to know is there a medal he doesn’t have!”
- Originally published at 18:08
