In a no win situation, Kealy’s call was brave

Brendan Kealy was stuck between a rock and a hard place and made a brave decision to walk away, writes Damian Stack

Abolt from the blue? Kind of but not quite. On one level Brendan Kealy’s decision to walk away from the Kerry panel was a somewhat shocking development. On the other you could see where the Kilcummin man was coming from.

Kealy, after all, is an All Star winning goalkeeper. Having to sit on the bench game in, game out can’t have been easy for a guy such as himself. Remember being second choice goalkeeper is a hell of a lot different to being second choice in any other position.

A corner-forward or a corner-back will likely get regular game time even if they don’t start. The only chance of a keeper coming off the bench is in the event of a sending off or of an injury. Hail Mary stuff.

The position of a second choice goal-keeper is reminiscent of that of the vice-presidency of the United States. There just in case. Sure there’s all that talk about being just a heartbeat away from the most powerful position in the world, but until then you’re left without much of anything to do.

There’s that line from John Nance Garner, FDR’s first vice president, about the position not being worth a bucket of warm piss (or spit depending on how polite you choose to be). Later occupants made more of the role, but you get the point.

Kealy obviously grew tired of the waiting. The only real surprise was the timing of it. At most there are only about two months of the season remaining at this stage. Why not stick in there? Why hang on in there to collect any medal that may or may not arrive on the third Sunday of September?

On top of that there was still a chance that Kealy could, through hard-work in training and, perhaps, a dip in form by his colleague

Brian Kelly have forced his way back into the number 1 shirt.

If this is the end – and the door remains open – then it’s a rather disappointing way for it to end for Kealy. He did the state some service. All the same one can but commend him for having the courage of his convic- tions, the easier thing to do might have been to stay put for now.

“It was disappointing and it was disappointing for Brendan himself, in particular,” Kerry boss Eamonn Fitzmaurice outlined this week.

“He was frustrated with a lack of game-time and you can understand that, especially with the position he’s in. Generally the way we’ve gone in the championship, once one of the lads has got a hold of it, that’s been in it for the summer.

“Brian has been playing very well as well. It was disappointing for him [Kealy] and he was frustrated. Again, I understand it. There were no hard feelings. I wished him the best of luck and it was mutual and that was it.”

The move has forced something of a rethink from Fitzmaurice on the goalkeeping front. All of a sudden he was on the look out for a number two keeper. The availability of two top quality goalkeepers in the county, Rathmore’s Shane Ryan and Dr Crokes Shane Murphy, softened the blow.

Indeed, many people had called for their introduction before now, especially that of Murphy in the wake of his sterling performances for Dr Crokes as they stormed their way to a famous All Ireland club title.

“Both of them are in,” Fitzmaurice confirmed.

“Both of them have been in our plans since the start of the season, but as the season went on, Shane Ryan has been involved with the Under 21s. Shane Murphy was involved in the Dr Crokes’ All-Ireland run.

“As the season went on we were happy with what we had and it was going to be awkward having three or four keepers around the squad so we just kept it as it was, but when Brendan departed then, it was an opportunity for the two lads to come in.

“And of course they were chomping at the bit and delighted to get the call and they are fighting it out at the moment.”

Battle has been begun

between the two Shanes to see who’ll get that number 16 shirt for this weekend. The question, however, turns to whether the departure of Kealy has left Kelly sitting a little too pretty.

The Shanes’ main focus will be on each other for now. Kelly, meanwhile, will probably be feeling fairly comfortable in that number 1 shirt. Is the absence of an experienced inter-county keeper to keep Kelly on his toes a concern?

“The lads know the way it works,” Fitzmaurice insists.

“Brian and everyone else knows the way it works. It’s going to be going on form and if a player is doing well enough in training regardless of their experience, we won’t have a problem throwing them in.

“I think both of the lads have plenty of experience, Shane Ryan at underage level and Shane Murphy obviously being up in Croke Park last March. They are experienced as well, even though they are younger.

“They might be lacking senior inter-county experience, but they have Croke Park experience. Of course they’re going to be pushing Brian, but we’ve been very happy with Brian. He’s playing well, he’s experienced and he’s been there and done that.”

The push for Murphy’s inclusion in the panel was based largely upon his exceptional kick-outs. There were times during Dr Crokes’ run to Paddy’s Day – the County Final in Fitzgerald Stadium in particular – when he looked like Kerry’s answer to Stephen Cluxton.

“We all know it comes back to Stephen Cluxton, basically that he revolutionised the position. I think in particular when Jim Gavin took over then and took Stephen Cluxton’s skill-set and made it very central to their game-plan,” Fitzmaurice says.

“It was always important, but I think Jim Gavin started to get the absolute max out of Cluxton then. That changed the position for everyone, for managers and goalkeepers alike. You still have to have the traditional skills of being able to save shots and catch high balls and deal with traffic around the square or whatever.

“But obviously the kick-out is huge now and teams on their own kick-out work so hard in trying to secure possession and then trying to get something off the opposition’s kick-out as well.

“It’s definitely a huge part of the game, yeah.”

A good chance then that Murphy – a native Kilcummin man too lest we not forget – could replace Kealy in the number sixteen shirt? Absolutely, though we shouldn’t rule out the chances of Rathmore’s Ryan either.

Despite losing an All Star goalkeeper in the past fortnight the Kingdom still seem to have an unbelievable depth of talent in the goalkeeping position.

The battle has been joined.

Bring it on.