Hayes a leading light for star-studded Green machine
CONOR Hayes just lost out on the Kerry minor panel, but was a leading light with Kerins O’Rahillys in last year’s County Championship as well as a cutting corner forward for Tralee CBS along their way to the final and like Seán Quilter, he is a key part of John Sugrue’s plans.
“We put in a lot of hard work over the year, so it was nice to have it pay off. It was a tough game, they came back at us but thankfully we held on and all our hard work paid off in extra-time. It’s been good to be involved in different set-ups,” he continues.
“Different managers, different training – John Sugrue [Kerry Under 20s], Mike Tim [the school], Micheál Quirke [Kerins O’Rahillys], it’s a great benefit to us. I’m happy with the way I am playing so far, but it’s all about the team as well, not just about myself.
“You have to bring everyone else into the game as well. If I don’t score and we win a Corn Uí Mhuirí, happy days! We take it in our stride. We have all the work done before the game; there’s no point worrying on the field.”
Conor isn’t under-estimating Brendans or the challenge ahead.
“They are obviously a good team; they wouldn’t be in the final if they weren’t. They have good players, we know about them, but we’ll just play our own game and hopefully we will come out on top. It’s great. My family would be at every game and supporting me all the way. My Dad gives me advice
St and tells me wrong.”
One advantage for both Conor and Seán is that the Under 20 John Kerins Tournament was played under the new playing rules. “The advance mark helps the forward definitely if you use it right. Myself and
BACK in 1928, teenager Paul Russell was worried about the quality of his latin homework when he saw one of his teachers approaching him – only to be informed that he was called up to the Kerry senior team.
Circumstances weren’t quite the same when Seán Quilter got his first senior jersey – it was the McGrath Cup and the Kerry team were away on holiday. Nonetheless, it neatly epitomises Quilter’s meteoric rise.
The Tralee CBS captain has size, strength, a natural and well-honed ability, but most especially an astonishing accuracy, especially from range. Unperturbed, the star of Austin
Stacks’ club championship win is taking things in his stride.
“It hasn’t been bad now to be fair. All go-go-go, a long season and all that, but you’d rather that than pre-season slogging. We have leaders on every line of the field, really. I have the name of captain, but we have a lot of leaders,” he says.
“I was there in 2017, I came on in that game [the last Corn Uí Mhuirí final between the two schools], but the Sem were very good that day. They are a good team and they have a great tradition. I think in the our group game in Connolly Park we could have won that game.
“It shows that you never give up and we’ll learn from that now for the next day. They are a phenomenal team, they go to the bitter end, so you have to go to the bitter end with them.”
Seán isn’t slow to credit the management team.
“They have been brilliant,” he confirms.
“Mike Tim [O’Sullivan] is involved now with the past four years and Tim [McMahon] is a Rockie like myself. They are great, they have left no stone unturned. Mike Tim and John [Sugrue, Kerry Under
20 manager] have a great understanding.
“They talk to each other, really, I don’t get involved. We have trained hard. Alan Duggan does the strength and conditioning. We are in the gym once a week. We have trained hard, especially now after Christmas once things get down to the latter stages.
“I do practice frees, but I don’t over-practice, you don’t want to over-think them. I don’t really think too much about any pressure or expectations; I’d be in my own bubble really. I don’t really think about who is in the stand; I just think about my own game.
“It’s going to be about who performs on the day. If we perform, we will win. If they perform, they will win. There’s just a break of a ball between us, you saw it down in Connolly Park, there was just a point between us. We’ll hope for the best and hope that the break goes our way.
“I enjoy it. It’s an amateur sport at the end of the day, you have to enjoy it.
You’re not getting paid for it. If you win, you win. If you lose, you lose. You like to have the support there alright. Even when you go back to school, you might get a slagging, but sure that’ll only drive you on.” if
I am getting something
Seán were lucky because of our Under 20 involvement, we had a few games played so we had the rules earlier than the rest of the players. There’s no club rivalry in the school. We are all playing together since first year and we are all friends outside of it.”
Above all, Conor is looking forward to the challenge ahead.
“When you are playing The Sem, it means more. There’s a strong rivalry there down through the years, the hurt of losing finals to each other.”