He may or may not be on the list of endangered species, but at age 34, a family man, managing his own business, Donal O'Grady must be an exception to the rule. Because instead of even contemplating retirement, he's utterly committed to another year on the Limerick senior hurling team – having been reappointed as captain for 2015.
Indeed, poised to embark on his 12th consecutive season, O’Grady is perfectly qualified to assess this perception that modern intercounty players are being burdened with unrealistic demands, particularly those players well into their 30s. He recognises the changes alright, and yet much of that comes down to the players and the game demanding more from each other.
“Obviously things have changed,” he says, “in that there’s a lot more involved now in terms of preparation, just to get yourself physically right, compared to 10 years ago. That’s because the game has gotten faster, and the competition has gotten hotter. If you want to win something you have to be up there with the best, and the best are doing four or five and maybe some of them six nights a week.
"It's not all about the amount of time you put into it. There's the gym, nutrition, and it takes over your life, no doubt. But John Allen (former Limerick manager) always had a famous comment that it's a lifestyle choice. And it is, because fellas don't have to. Most players can't complain."
Toll on life
For O’Grady, who manages a busy supermarket in his home village of Ballingarry, playing hurling for Limerick is still a privilege more than anything else: “It does take some toll on my work, in the sense of the lack of time I’d have at home in the shop. Again, that’s my choice. I’m lucky enough to have been selected for Limerick, and that’s all I’ve wanted to do.
“And I’m lucky enough to have a good support base around me at home to help me out a bit. And I suppose at the age of 34 people might say, ‘well, 34 in the modern game, he’ll probably struggle’. But I feel great, personally. The management didn’t even come to me to say ‘don’t even think about retiring’, or whatever. It was just a phone-call made to me, asking was I available, and I was delighted to come back.”
Second yellow cards
O’Grady is equally well qualified to talk about the Hurling 2020 proposals, particularly the one about players on second yellow cards being replaced, not sent off – given he was lucky to avoid a second yellow card when he quite deliberately pulled down Kilkenny’s
Richie Power
, late in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat.
“For me, it was either Richie Power score a goal, or me try to knock him. It was a crucial stage of the game and it was probably worth a yellow card. And as it turned out, think it was just the whole day that was in it. In fairness to the referee he had a job to get back himself, with all the rain falling.
“But looking back, it was a yellow card, no doubt. At the time my gut instinct said I have to bring him down or else the match is over. And I suppose, in hindsight, yes I would, I would do it again.”
Which is where the 2020 proposal comes in – although O’Grady doesn’t believe that the existing rule on second yellow cards (where the player is sent off and not replaced) will be changed, given the possibility of an increase in the same professional foul that he committed.
“My gut feeling is that it won’t come in. You’d probably have the safety net, to do a tackle like that. But I think the penalty (proposal) was the big one. When you see a player putting a penalty over the bar, it kind of defeats the purpose of. He’s looking at his chances and saying right, ‘the odds are against me of scoring a goal here’.
“The chances are if you’re fouled for a penalty, then you’ve been denied a goal-scoring opportunity. So it will be interesting to see how it goes. I think it’s definitely worth trialling anyway, and I think it will be good for the game.”
