It’s Tribe v Treaty at Croker
Johnny: Last year was an incredible experience but I’ve endured my fair share of agony
THEY’RE on the verge of back-to-back All-ireland titles but Galway had plenty of rough times and Johnny Coen was there for them all.
Even if the Tribesmen beat Limerick today and hold onto the Liam Maccarthy Cup, Coen will still have a jam packed hurt locker from past All-ireland finals.
He’s one of only three players – Joe Canning (inset) and David Burke are the others – to have played in all of Galway’s finals this decade; two in 2012, one in 2015 and last September’s.
Until they beat Waterford last year, ending a 29-year drought, all that players like Coen had known was heartache.
Looking back, he said: “I think in 2012 we took the place by storm a small bit. We were given practically no hope at the start of the year when the new management came in and completely cut the panel and drafted in a brand new set-up.
“I think there were 20 under-21s that were part of that panel. At the end of the day, we didn’t win, we lost a replay to Kilkenny, and in 2015 we didn’t get the result either.
“But having gone through the experience of 2012 and then again in 2015, coming into last year’s final it really stood to us. The 2015 and the 2017 teams, there were a lot of regulars on both of those teams.
“Having gone through it together, having experienced the whole thing together in 2015, we were able to bounce ideas off each other for the week or two before last year’s final and then when it came to the Sunday we were only really playing the match then, not the occasion.”
That level of experience is one of the big reasons why Galway are favourites to hang on to the Maccarthy Cup and match the achievement of the 1987 and 1988 teams.
Limerick are totally new to the occasion and defensive cover Seamus Hickey is the only playing link to the side that last reached a final, in 2007.
Coen’s big takeaway from last year’s success was the elation immediately after the final whistle – and he wants to experience that again.
The Loughrea man said: “People forget that we’re just average guys, just regular people who are the best of friends. To celebrate together on the field was very, very special.
“Then when we went back to Galway, going into Ballinasloe, with the homecoming, it was breathtaking really. We had come back to homecomings a good bit before, but when we hadn’t been victorious, so it was totally different.”
Coen played in defence in his first three finals but was at midfield last year.
He said: “I always said to myself that it was phase two of my career, going to midfield. I was a corner-back from 2011 right up until 2016. I was delighted with the move because at times when you’re playing corner-back it can be quite negative.”
One stat jumps out from Galway’s last three games – they’ve led by a combined 2-25 to 0-4 in the opening stages. They’ve not always finished the job, drawing with Clare after initially leading by nine, but another fast start could bury Limerick. Coen said: “If we get into a lead in an All-ireland final and come out even a point up at the end of the game, that will do fine.”