For brilliant Dr Crokes
since then. There’s Tuesdays, there’s Thursdays, there’s weekends that’s what it is, it’s all hard work.”
That’s the thing that comes through loud and clear when you talk to these Crokes boys. None of it would be possible without that clear-eyed commitment and hunger for hard work.
That and an unbelievable desire for more and more again. The facts and figures – seven titles in nine years, seven wins from seven finals – don’t even necessarily permeate in the here and now.
“It’s hard to reflect on it when you’re still playing,” the captain says.
“You’re still just looking for the next one. It’s people, parents and things then who’ll be reminding you of it now and then ‘you have this’ and you look back and you think we have had an incredible run, but it’s all about the next game.
“If you lose the next game... It’s tough to win them, so while you’re winning them, try and win them.”
Sometimes it’s just that simple. Why slow down when you’re having so much fun and Crokes are having fun? Though sometimes their play can be controlled – they were effectively patient at times against Dingle on Sunday – they play with a real joie de vivre. Just watch Gavin White’s second half goal, the way he and Crokes swept from one end of the pitch to the other before planting the ball past a despairing Gavin Curran.
“I think we all just love playing football,” Payne says.
“The group of players we have and there’s fellas who didn’t get a game today who’d start on any other team in the county. Some of them would start on the county team I’d say and they’re just stone mad about football, just driving us. It’s infectious when there’s fellas around you driving you on.”
For the rest of the county that’s the worrying sign. Crokes are an evolving side. Since they won the All Ireland title two years ago they’ve introduced at least four new players to the starting fifteen – David O’Leary, Micheál Burns, David Shaw and Tony Brosnan.
When you consider that one of Payne’s regular opponents in training in the last couple of years has been Tony Brosnan you begin to get an idea of how he’s managed to stay as sharp as he has this entire time.
“Tony, we both I think drive each other on,” he says.
“I wouldn’t like it if Tony kicked a point off me in training and I’m sure when he gets out here and he starts kicking he’s loving it. So we drive each other on. There’s always a fresh fella to come in. Tony and [David] Shaw and [Jordan] Kiely.
“They’re coming in meeting fellas who are there, experienced and they’re learning off us and we’re also having to keep on top of our game as well.”
That’s what you call a virtuous cycle and that’s what everybody else is up against. Crokes are going precisely nowhere, except perhaps back to Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day.
You never know for certain what might happen in a provincial or an All Ireland club campaign, but this Dr Crokes team looks to have all the ingredients necessary to put a meaningful challenge together.
When you’ve got a panel of players this good and a manager as clever and as accomplished as Pat O’Shea is over them the sky really is the limit. As long, that is, as everybody remains focussed.
Just as well then that they’ve a captain like John Payne – a man focussed on the next play and the next game – on the case, always looking to the future.
Tony, we both I think drive each other on. I wouldn’t like it if Tony kicked a point off me in training