Brosnan handed Kerry team captaincy

TWELVE years on from the first and only time he held the honour Eoin Brosnan will captain the county senior football team again in 2013.

Brosnan was nominated by his club, Dr Crokes, at their end of season celebration night at the weekend, and this week he said he was “very honoured to have been chosen by my club and very happy”.

Brosnan said that Colm Cooper - who captained Kerry for the last two seasons - had no issue with the decision, and spoke highly of Brosnan as the club’s choice at their function on Sunday night.

Kieran O’Leary was nominated as vice-captain by Dr Crokes, but both players won’t be involved in Kerry’s McGrath Cup campaign, which gets underway this weekend.

Brosnan, too, won’t be involved so it remains to be seen if one of the three Crokes players on Saturday’s panel - Johnny Buckley, Fionn Fitzgerald and Brian Looney - do the captaincy honours, or if one of the more senior players deputises for the absent Brosnan.

Manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice has welcomed the choice of Brosnan as captain, saying that Eoin will bring all the leadership qualities expected of the position. He also acknowledged the captaincy of Colm Cooper over the last two years and the dignity which he brought to the role.

Meanwhile, former All-Ireland medal winner Stephen Stack is being strongly linked with the managerial vacancy for the Austin Stacks senior team team.