HAS ONE CONSEQUENCE of the split season been a growing chance that players will get injured – especially those from counties who competed in the All-Ireland final before returning to club championship action within a fortnight?
That was one question raised on GAA Weekly – a podcast available to The42 members – with Marc Ó Sé and Maurice Brosnan.
“There’s a lot of inter-county players getting injured at this time of year,” Brosnan said. “Adrian Spillane, I don’t know how he finished that game (Kenmare v East Kerry) with his ankle. He went down multiple times on Sunday.
“David Clifford obviously missed a lot of action. There’s no Gavin White. If you think about it, he suffered that injury in a semi-final and then played a full game against Galway. And hasn’t been back since. Micheál Burns Was missing from Crokes too. This was flagged by the GPA during the week, that one consequence of the split season might be an increase in inter-county injuries. It’s one to keep an eye on.”
Ó Sé said it was “without a doubt” an issue that needed to be monitored.
“I was listening to an interview Lee Keegan had done, he was asked if he’d go next year again, he said he’d have to wait to see how the body would deal with the rigours of club championship. And that appears to be the case around the country, not just with Mayo . . . The intercounty player, the season is so confined now that the intensity is massive. Trying to get the players right, the physios must be working around the board.”
Ó Sé added: “You mentioned a player there, Adrian Spillane. I noticed him at the start of the club championship in Kerry, where he didn’t look as if he was running smoothly, and the proof is in the pudding now. Especially again at the weekend, he pulled up halfway through the first half with an injury. He didn’t look as if he was running right at all. You mention the likes of Gavin White, Micheál Burns all these fellas carrying knocks. Joe O’Connor’s after dong his cruciate. So from a Kerry point of view it’s not good in terms of all the injuries . . . I think the signs do say maybe the intensity of the inter-county season has had an impact.”
Brosnan said Kieran Molloy played the All-Ireland final for Galway and has since suffered a suspected cruciate injury.
He added: “Robert Finnerty limped off with a muscle injury as well. Paul Conroy has struggled with injuries, Damien Comer has struggled with injuries. The thing about Kerry and Galway players, they were back within two weeks after the All-Ireland final, they got no break.”
