Bench men vital for championship glory
Summer success of Limerick and Dublin proves that ‘finishers’ are playing a more important role than ever in both inter-county codes
ONE of the greatest gifts which successful GAA managers possess is the ability to keep those not featuring in their starting 15 happy because without their buy-in, things can quickly unravel.
Players put in long hours and put their lives on hold to deliver between the white lines and make an impact on the pitch, not off the bench, but hurling and football are evolving and there’s often a necessity to keep some of your best players in reserve.
No one wants to watch on from the sidelines but sometimes it’s for the greater good and John Kiely’s utilisation of substitutes like Shane Dowling and Peter Casey as Limerick ended their 45-year wait for Liam MacCarthy this year is a perfect example.
Barring injury, sendings-off or below-par performances, major personnel changes in defence are uncommon and it’s from midfield up where a fresh impetus is usually needed to help steer a side over the line.
The Treaty were a prime example this season with the contributions of Dowling (1-4), Casey, Pat Ryan (1-0), Barry Nash (0-1) and David Reidy (0-1) proving fruitful as they produced a miraculous semi-final comeback to defeat Cork.
Effective
Casey (0-2) and Dowling (0-1) were similarly effective against Kilkenny in the All-Ireland quarter-final while the Na Piarsaigh pair combined for Dowling’s all-important goal in the All-Ireland final to end years of final heartache.
Kiely seems to have adopted an approach that the ideal time to have your best 15 on the pitch is in the final minutes and he has implemented a style which gives his troops the best chance to see games out. It’s no easy task, however.
“I wanted to be starting,” Dowling wrote in a searingly honest piece for the thesportschronicle.com recently when describing his time as a substitute under John Allen in 2013.
“I wanted to be walking behind the band. I wanted to be arm-in-arm with the lads for Amhrán na bhFiann.
“I remember driving home and pulling in around the back of the petrol station near the ground and breaking down for over an hour in my car. I genuinely thought my inter-county career was over. I was devastated.
“I took that very hard at the time. Growing up I was never a sub on any team I had ever played for but I took consolation in the fact that I would likely get 20 minutes or so to make an impact and I had to make the best of it.”
There’s no doubting the Limerick sharpshooter’s talent but Kiely identified that the Treaty needed to play a high-energy game based on ferocious work-rate from his forwards and Dowling was one of many to lose out as a result.
How that was dealt with behind closed doors only Dowling and Kiely will know, but there was clearly an appreciation from both parties about how hurling was changing and the need for fresh bodies to deliver an impetus when games are in the melting pot.
While it’s easy to point fingers at those who end up with silverware at the end of the year, the mantra of winners writing the script should prevail for all managers in the area of recognising the importance of your squad and the role each individual plays.
Dublin football boss Jim Gavin refers to his bench as “finishers” rather than substitutes. Inter-county set-ups, by their nature, are full of high achievers and by appreciating their pivotal role, Gavin is giving them a purpose – their duty is to close out games.
The Dubs have set the template with the likes of Kevin McManamon and Cormac Costello regularly swing- ing games in their favour when introduced but it requires a change in your psyche.
McManamon’s inclination will always be to seek a jersey from 1-15 but the starting team doesn’t carry the same weight that it did in the past and the side that’s present at the finish is as important as the one that started.
Minutes before Tipperary’s hurlers halted Kilkenny’s drive for five in 2010, Liam Sheedy addressed his subs from inside a huddle and highlighted how they were the ones – even those who wouldn’t see action – that would bring Liam MacCarthy back to Tipp.
Most people found it unusual that his coach Eamon O’Shea spoke to the starters, but that was the importance the Tipp boss placed on those wearing 16-26 and the unlucky few not to make the match-day squad.
It’s not a manager’s job to please everyone, but keeping your squad on side is essential and the way those outside the starting 15 are treated is key to a county’s success.
Substitutes may not walk behind the Artane Band or shake the president’s hand, but their impact makes all the difference, as this season has shown in spades.