2019 offers chance to lay positive foundations for Limerick Football

January brings with it a renewed hope for the year ahead. The slate is wiped clean and plans for the year ahead made. It also heralds the beginning of 2 events that are worlds apart – the start of the National Football League and Oscars season!

While the Limerick Footballers may not be a box office draw in recent times, aspirations of walking the red carpet in Croke Park in late March have to still be there. With that in mind I want to take a look at the next three months through the lens of some quotes from sports themed films that drew Oscar attention, to see what success would look like in my book and maybe what could be done to achieve it.

“All I wanna do is go the distance” (Rocky). The ultimate underdog story. Given no chance outside of a close inner circle. Laughed at as a serious challenger. But saw an opportunity to make the most of his ability and worked incredibly hard to perform on the big occasion. And even then he didn’t win, but he gave himself a chance and it was a start. He took it to the wire and success eventually followed.

Too many times in the last few years Limerick haven’t been in games by the end of the 3rd quarter. A good first half showing was undone in the space of 10/15 minutes. A successful league campaign in my eyes would be one where there was the opportunity to win in every game heading into the home straight.

One where players would dig in when the opposition were having their purple patch. Not forcing things and keeping possession when every fibre of your being tells you to try low percentage stuff. Getting up off the canvas after a blow and have a punchers chance in the last quarter at the very least.

“He gets on base” (Moneyball). Much like Billy Beanes Oakland A’s Baseball team, Limerick has lost some of its stars over the last few years. The likes of Ian Ryan’s scoring return or John Galvin’s ball winning ability just cannot be replaced with a like for like player. Limerick needs to think a bit differently.

They need to maximise the strengths of their own team and be unconventional in their approach to everything. To be “card counters at the blackjack table”. So there isn’t a player who can score 1-8 a game. Ok, but those scores can to be made up from elsewhere cumulatively.

Corner backs need to be targeting a score a game, half back line maybe 2 along with the midfielders. It can’t be left to an Iain Corbett or a Darragh Treacy alone. It needs to be a target for all. To “get on base”. And best of all is that it’s very achievable if the will is there.

“Help me,help you!” (Jerry Maguire). Four simple words that changed the relationship between Rod Tidwell & his agent. And it was met with resistance initially – only natural with most sportspeople at a high level – but the realisation dawned that what was being said was for his benefit too. And the ‘Quan’ followed.

This group of Limerick players, management, backroom etc have to lean on each other as much as possible. And not be afraid to seem weak in an attempt to improve. It could be a player going to another player asking about some part of their game that they are struggling with, or maybe more importantly a player offering another lad help without even being asked.

It could be a member of management pulling together individual clips of a player in order to visually show him areas to improve on, and that player being open to that level of scrutiny. Or that player even requesting it himself. The list is endless. But the point is there are people within the group that are open to improving both themselves and the people around them; that care about that person improving so that the group improves.

So hopefully by the end of the league there will be cause to celebrate nominations or even awards for “Best player”, “Best Supporting Role” or even “Best Story”. But above all else that some foundations are laid for the future of Limerick Senior Football.

I have nothing but respect for those that give their time to it. “It reminds us all that once was good and could be again. People will come Ray. People will most definitely come” (Field of Dreams).