Collins is ready for another Kelly duel
PODGE COLLINS has a fair idea of what to expect when Cratloe take on Tony Kelly and Ballyea in the Clare hurling final on Sunday. Not because he and Kelly are AllIreland-winning Clare colleagues, playing alongside each other for years, but more specifically because Collins marked Kelly just weeks ago. It didn’t go well.
‘Only for a couple of minutes,’ clarified Collins, smiling. ‘I think he got 1-11 that day, I was only on him for three of them. The first three points went over and then I was hearing from the sideline, “Ah Podge, come over here”.’
It remains to be seen who marks Kelly on Sunday as both clubs attempt to regain the title following wins in recent seasons.
Another snapshot from Kelly’s club campaign, that was widely distributed on social media, was an outrageous flick he performed before scoring a point against Inagh-Kilnamona in the quarter-finals.
In their next game, Kelly struck 1-9, all from play, including a thrilling solo goal against O’Callaghan’s Mills. ‘I actually remember giving an interview when I was a minor and this lad was U-17,’ said Collins.
‘I was like, “What this lad can do in training, people haven’t seen this before”. It was what people were doing on a hurling field as seniors. So he’s always been a special talent.
‘He’s focused, hard-working and always been the same way in work and school, and it’s the same on the hurling field. What he does off it is why he’s so good, the work he puts in, and he’s really showing it on the field this year.’
Kelly isn’t the only big talent Ballyea possess, as they displayed capturing the Clare title two years ago before going on to blitz Munster weeks later. Their All-Ireland odyssey only ended at the final stage when they met Cuala the following March.
‘He’ll need watching on Sunday but if you go through their entire team, nearly all of them have played intercounty in either hurling or football,’ noted Collins.
Cratloe have their own impressive pedigree and are aiming for their third county title success inside a decade. Their last win was in 2014, though it’s not been an entirely fallow period in between for many of their players.
‘We were in a football final but this is the first time back for us in the hurling,’ said Collins. ‘It’s good to be back obviously but then you get there and you’re not just happy with that, you want to win.’ Collins was speaking at a Dublin Airport hotel yesterday at the launch of the jerseys for the upcoming Aer Lingus-backed Fenway Hurling Classic in Boston.
Cork’s Daniel Kearney joined him at the event as the pair got chatting about the demands on their time as inter-county players while travelling up together.
‘Daniel was only just saying when he was talking to me there in the taxi, he’s going for the last four years, flat out, no week or two weeks off,’ said Collins.
‘It’ll be over to Boston, then the Munster League starts for the preseason, then the National League starts, then the league for the Championship starts. People are probably already forgetting about this year already. That’s just the way it goes.’