HESLIN: I’D TAKE CLUB AHEAD OF COUNTRY
ST LOMAN’S progress through the Leinster club championship meant that John Heslin wouldn’t have been able to answer his country’s call. Not that it mattered, anyway. The Westmeath dynamo wasn’t even invited for a trial with the International Rules team. That’s a tad surprising given that Heslin served some time with Richmond Tigers in the AFL. And given his scoring ability and natural power, he would seem a perfect fit for the hybrid game. But he was ignored this year. ‘Obviously, I wouldn’t have been able to go with the club campaign — but I wouldn’t have been able to go either because I didn’t get asked!’ said Heslin with a smile in Croke Park yesterday, ahead of Lomans’ Leinster semifinal against Simonstown, the Meath champions. ‘At that level, it is a toss of the coin between a lot of the players. I was involved in the trials a couple of years ago and it was a fantastic experience, kicking around with the lads. But it is quite a demand as well, because they usually train on a Friday night, have to stay there and train Saturday morning, too.’ Heslin, who still works with Teagasc outside Kells, explains that Saturday morning is when he gets a lot of work done at his farm. ‘It wouldn’t have suited from that respect,’ Heslin explained, but he says that winning a third Westmeath title in a row, and doing it as Lomans’ captain, meant more than representing his country in Australia. ‘At the start of the year, I would have said that doing three-in-a-row with the club, and being captain, would mean more to me than going to Australia. I know people say that it is a chance to represent your country, which it is, but I might get that opportunity at another time. ‘To win three in a row with the club as captain, those sort of things don’t come around too often. I was honoured and privileged to get that opportunity. ‘But I wouldn’t feel hard done by at all. A fantastic group went over and there are a number of lads who would feel more hard done by — Gearóid McKiernan didn’t get to go and he’s a fantastic player.’ Heslin said that he understands why some Dublin players turned down the opportunity to travel Down Under, pointing out that his former AFL club, Richmond Tigers, won the championship this year and they had no representatives on the victorious Australian squad. ‘The media didn’t highlight that the way they did with the Dubs. That was quite interesting. They took time off to celebrate their win and go around with the cup. ‘And a lot of the Dublin players have probably played it before, and they had a long campaign this year. If the club is calling you, you have to answer that call.’