JOYCE’S GAME-PLAN HAS TRIBE PRIMED TO CHALLENGE FOOTBALL’S BIG TWO
Classy attacker Walsh embodies Joyce philosophy – to play with style and substance
FOR THOSE of a certain generation, and even for some whose memory doesn’t quite go back that far, every outrageous piece of skill these days seems to be benchmarked with something Maurice Fitzgerald did back in his pomp with Kerry. Maybe it’s the ultimate tribute to Fitzgerald’s talent portfolio that everything that thieves the breath these days has a replica from his hands or feet.
The Thurles sideline in 2001 against Dublin is a regular reference point, so too the right-footed solo run in off the wing against Armagh in the 2000 All-Ireland semi-final before a shot unleashed for a goal off his left.
But one which has been almost impossible to replicate is the ability to kick long-range frees off the ground with both feet.
Most memorably, Fitzgerald executed that sequence in the 1997 All-Ireland final against Mayo, his final, curling over a free that hugged the sideline in the corner where the Hogan and Davin (then Canal End) Stands meet with his left to complement his more conventional rightfooted conversions.
Sweetly
For a long time, Fitzgerald had almost exclusive rights to that trick. Across the border, Cork’s Colin Corkery was capable of putting a ball down and connecting sweetly off either foot but Fitzgerald was always market-leader.
These days he has a rival though. On Sunday in Tuam, with the game long gone Galway’s way, they won a free in the 57th-minute for a foul on Paul Conroy, seven or eight metres in from the sideline, about 35 metres which Shane Walsh nailed.
Just over two minutes later, when he had turned on the after-burners for the umpteenth time to draw a foul, and a second yellow and red card for Frank Burns, the position was slightly to the right side of the posts so he stood to the right and effortlessly swept it over off his left. The distance was about 40 metres.
It takes a special talent to do that. And Walsh has always been a special talent. But it hasn’t always surfaced as it should have.
There have been fleeting moments, that point against Tipperary in 2014 when he trapped a 45 that was dropping short, controlled it and turned all in the one movement before curling over off his left and the havoc he wreaked on Roscommon in the Connacht final replay in 2016.
Through 2018 and 2019 – when he had a fine league campaign – there were signs of real progress.
But four games into Galway’s first campaign under Pádraic Joyce’s management and Walsh has been unplayable at times.
Those frees were merely an illustration of a young man brimming with confidence at the top of his game, set free to find himself on a football field in many respects.
It’s not that the previous management restricted him, it’s just that every man had to play his part within the system first. Now the priorities have shifted, the instruction is to ‘go’ and Walsh is revelling it.
If anything encapsulates the early stages of Joyce’s tenure, it’s the form of Galway’s most talented player, who the manager has appointed captain.
Galway lead Division 1 and by extension are the highest scorers after four games, scoring seven goals. For five of those goals Walsh has had an involvement, scoring a beauty in Tralee against Kerry, converting a penalty against Tyrone, giving the final assist to Paul Conroy (Tyrone) and Johnny Heaney (Donegal) and also contributing in the build-up to Rob Finnerty’s goal against Monaghan, underlining a selfless
ness that hasn’t always been there.
But there has been so much more to his game; those searing, weaving runs making defenders feel nauseous, the ability to solo off either foot, the comfort in shooting off either foot, irrespective of distance or angle.
The excitement around Walsh has fed into the excitement around Joyce’s management too. He has made all the right noises to get people back on board, from his declaration that failure to win this year’s All-Ireland title would be a disappointment to his clear intention to play attacking football.
After the one-point defeat to Kerry in Tralee, a night when they took two of the six goal chances created, he was adamant that the reverse gear some players chose to take influenced their loss of the grip they had on that game.
“The initial movement of going backwards,” he explained. “We are trying to get that out of the game in Galway and unfortunately we didn’t do it tonight. One or two players are still stuck in reverse.”
That reverse gear was barely visible in Tuam on Sunday as Galway inflicted the worst defeat on Mickey Harte in a competitive game. Admittedly, Tyrone were down to 14 players for more than 45 minutes when Kieran McGeary was sent off, and 13 players after Burns’ red. There was also the discomfort of watching their colleague Cathal McShane being stretchered off with such a serious injury that will now, most likely, rule him out for the season.
Philosophy
But still there was something imperious about the way Galway kept chipping away at Tyrone, knocking over points with such assured confidence to frank Joyce’s firm principles. Like Jim Gavin experienced with his philosophy, there will be bumps on the road and a time to reset.
But Galway have been quietly dovetailing Kerry and Dublin at underage level for the last few years, never too far adrift when they have met either in any age grade.
There’s also the presence of the three-in-a-row All-Ireland club champions Corofin in the county and, while accepting that the gap between club and county is not one everyone can bridge, it still drives certain standards.
There is a lot of talent already in place and more to come to position them very well for the decade ahead.
Despite his critics within, Joyce’s predecessor Kevin Walsh brought Galway a long way down the road they are already on.
But Joyce has made all the right noises about where he wants to take his county and so far they haven’t deviated off that path.
If any county can force alterations to the script already laid out for the 2020s, and the football duopoly the decade is expected to throw up, it’s Galway.