Kerry county star lands 'super hit' in club game to draw gasps from commentator
The good old fashioned shoulder has almost become a thing of the past, but they haven't entirely gone out of the game
The good old fashioned shoulder is alive and well in Gaelic football - just about.
There was a perfect example of one in Austin Stacks Munster Intermediate Championship semi-final victory over Cork’s Kilshannig at the weekend, streamed on Clubber.
Tipperary referee Derek O’Mahoney sent off three players, including two in the first half as the Kerry side ran out 1-12 to 0-6 winners.
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In a physical encounter it was Kerry midfielder Joe O’Connor doing the hitting with a well timed shoulder that dislodged the ball and left his opponent wondering where he’d come from.
The 23rd minute hit drew a gasp from the commentator on duty.
O’Connor is an all action type of player who forced his way into the Kerry team this year to partner Diarmuid O’Connor in the middle of the field.
One of the traits of his game is the physicality he brings across the field and how he relishes man to man battle.
The way the game has evolved, with less direct one to one contests the shoulder has almost disappeared from football.
Timing it right is tricky and getting it wrong can lead to cards as well as being dangerous to opponents.
It’s not something that is really trained by coaches either, and it's nearly something from a bygone day, they are so few and far between.
There’s still doable though with the right urgency, timing and willingness to put your body on the line, as O’Connor showed here.
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