Sherwood or Clifford?

Clubs to vote on motion to change captaincy selection

KERRY’S senior football team captain will be named early next week in what could be the last year the county SFC winners have the honour of nominating the captain. As recently crowned county champions, the East Kerry team have the right to nominate the Kerry captain for 2020, but a motion to go before a meeting of the County Committee on Monday week will ask the clubs and divisional teams to transfer the picking of the county team captain to the team management in consultation with the County Committee chairperson.

Last week the

East Kerry Board executive met with officers from the six constituent clubs that made up the East Kerry senior team that won the Bishop

Moynihan Cup last November to discusss the captaincy, and The Kerryman understands that a name has been put forward to the team management. The selection process was made less straight-forward in that none of the six clubs representing the East Kerry team last year won the East Kerry SFC, which would have given that club the final say in the nomination. Legion ended a 43-year wait to win the O’Donoghue Cup (SFC) but were not part of the East Kerry team that won the county championship.

Just four East Kerry players - Jack Sherwood (Firies), David Clifford (Fossa), Dara Moynihan (Spa) and Liam Kearney (Spa) - were listed on the official 2019 Kerry panel, with Sherwood and Clifford the only two that saw regular playing time in the Championship.

Sherwood turns 29 years of age next month, while Clifford celebrates his 21st birthday this month, and it is believed that there was some discussion over which would be the better choice as captain:

Sherwood, who is an older, more mature player but not guaranteed to be a Championship starter in 2020, or Clifford, who will be in his third season as a Kerry senior, will be just 21 years old this year, but who is a certain starter and is already a leader of the team in his own way.

Meanwhile, club delegates will be asked to vote on a motion from the Beaufort club that proposes a change to how the Kerry football and hurling team captains are selected. The motion which proposes ‘That the captain of the Kerry senior hurling and football teams shall be selected by the team management in consultation with the Chairman of the Kerry County Committee. This motion if passed is to be applied from 2021 onward’ will be dealt with at the next County Committee meeting on Monday, January 27.

The County Committee executive is asking that all County Board delegates are fully aware of the views of their club prior to voting on the motion, and all delegates are asked to attend this meeting.