Kingdom legend sees parallels with Kerry 2009 in Derry
'I know they hit the wall a few weeks ago but it happened Kerry in ’09 so we’d be very wary of this.'
Former Kerry star Johnny Crowley says he’s wary of Derry’s upturn in form, likening it to his own county’s resurrection during the 2009 Championship.
Back then, Kerry won the League but were well beaten by Cork in Munster and struggled past Longford, Sligo - when they were saved by a late missed penalty - and Antrim in the qualifiers.
But they came to life in Croke Park, trouncing Dublin in the quarter-final and seeing off Meath in the semi before turning the tables on Cork in the final.
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Similarly, Derry claimed League honours but struggled in the Championship until digging out a win on penalties over Mayo to set up Sunday’s quarter-final against Jack O’Connor’s side.
“Derry, you would have to think, will come in with quiet confidence,” said Crowley, a three-time All-Ireland winner.
“I know they hit the wall a few weeks ago but it happened Kerry in ’09 so we’d be very wary of this.
“Mickey Harte is a master of these scenarios. He’s been through it all so many times so you definitely wouldn’t be putting all your money on Kerry this weekend.
“I think Kerry will turn up. I think Kerry are in a good place and have answered all the questions that they should have answered. Having said that, this is going to be a massive step-up.”
With the Clifford brothers, David and Paudie, along with Sean O’Shea the standouts in the Kerry attack, Crowley, himself an ace marksman in his prime, is hoping that the other forwards can step up to the plate.
“I do feel Tony Brosnan is a real plus in the half-forward line because he’s a really good creator and Tony has been knocking around now for a few years so he does have experience.
“I’d be looking to the likes of him next weekend to knock over two or three points. He probably won’t feature as much as the three other boys in Derry’s analysis so that should be a big advantage.
“Brian Ó Beaglaoich has come back from a long-term injury and is playing really well. They’re two big pluses. Brian has popped up with scores as has Tom O’Sullivan.
“I wouldn’t be overly concerned but you’d like to see the other two forwards chipping in with one or two scores just to take the heat off the three boys,” he added when speaking at the launch of the Circet All-Ireland GAA Golf Challenge, which takes place at Killarney GC on October 17-18.
It’s almost 20 years now since Crowley played his last game for Kerry - the All-Ireland final of 2004 - and his son, Luke, is beginning to make waves in two codes.
He was on the senior hurling and under-20 football teams this year and found himself in the unfortunate position of having to choose one over the other when a crucial Joe McDonagh Cup tie against Offaly clashed directly with the All-Ireland under-20 final against Tyrone.
He went with the football and, ultimately, Kerry were beaten in both games.
“It’s gone unbelievably demanding,” says Crowley of the inter-county scene that he left behind compared to the one his son is entering.
“The gym thing is huge now even at club level. The inter-county lads have to be doing two gym sessions a week outside of their collective work so that’s a massive side of it. It is unbelievably demanding.
“They have been at it six or seven months at senior level, never mind the under-20s and Luke was at it with them and the hurlers. It’s very intense, it’s very full-on and there’s no down-time, no time for anything else.
“I started when there was a four-week gap between matches, which was huge. You could take a down week, play a club game and that changed with the backdoor then in ’01 and it has gradually whittled down to become more intense and now you have the split season.
“Look, I do feel sorry for the high level guys who have to then go back into club and if you’re successful you run into December and possibly January and back to county again. They’re getting no down-time.”
When asked if he had burnout concerns around his son, Crowley said: “He enjoyed the year and there was good will from both managers, Stephen Molumphy and Tomás Ó Sé, that he was working with.
“They managed to work it out that way and Luke was fortunate to stay injury-free. There was a lot of demands and it is tough going and I don’t think it’s sustainable season after season.
“This would have been an exceptional year and it was managed fine but when you are younger there are college demands on him and exams and it’s hard. The 18-year-olds, 19-year-olds are all working part-time too to fund their college so it’s not easy.”
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