Austin Gleeson was second guessing himself when he watched Waterford take on Clare without him at the weekend, but he’s still confident he won’t regret his decision to leave the panel…
The Mount Sion club-man says he has become a ‘totally different person’ since deciding a couple of months ago to step away from his inter-county commitments.
“More relaxed,” Gleeson tells SportsJOE in an interview for The GAA Hour, “I’m more chilled out. I’m not putting myself under as much stress.”
Having played for the last ten years, Gleeson freely admits that he’d had enough of basing his life around inter-county hurling.
The last few weeks and months have flown by and he’s enjoyed the simple things such as watching the Champions League of a Tuesday night, or planning as he is for one of his friend’s stags in a couple of weeks time.
“I’ve been busy enough, between different things, a few parties. Everything seems to be rolling so quickly from one to the next.
“Next week I’ve one of my good mate’s 30th. We’ve a stag a couple of weeks after that.”
“I’m definitely enjoying it. Last Sunday was the only time over the last couple of months that I found it hard. It was the first time I properly missed it,” the Electric Ireland ambassador tells us.
Having had reservations initially, Gleeson was coaxed back into the Waterford set-up last year by Davy Fitzgerald but a season dominated by niggly injuries convinced him he had to take this year out.
“I don’t regret it. I don’t regret it one bit.
“I find I’m a totally different person in a way, more relaxed, more chilled out.
“Not putting myself under as much stress and stuff like that.
“So I don’t regret it but you do find it hard those days and I know that first day down in Walsh Park, in Munster when they’re playing Cork, I will miss it that day.”
“Having more time is the biggest thing,” Gleeson explains.
“Realistically, being an inter-county player is 25 hours a week between training, gym, travelling.
“I’ll watch a bit of Champions League tonight instead of being out in Carriganore. Having no pressure like that is the biggest thing. Not worrying about training, getting to the gym, having to take time off work.”
“We’re back with the club now, in the gym twice a week. You’re training with lads that you’d never have trained with and that’s rejuvenating. I’m not really missing the five or six days out in Carriganore.”
Gleeson calls inter-county GAA a second full-time job and says that as he enjoys his break, he has barely picked up a hurl in the last couple of months.
That being said, he is hopeful that the ‘drive’ to play inter-county hurling will come back by next year.
“Teams and players are getting criticised then when they’re giving up so much time to what nearly is a second full-time job.
“People should take that into consideration as well. No-one is going out to play bad having given up six months of their life.
“I gave it a good slap last year, even though I wasn’t going to go back at all.
“I came on in a few League games, felt good and sharp. Then I pulled my hamstring against Tipp and pulled my quad a couple of weeks later then. It ended up being a very frustrating way in every way.
“You’d be sitting there thinking ‘why me?’ ‘Why am I getting injured?’ It takes a toll on you.”
The full interview will be available on The GAA Hour later this week.
Pictured is former Waterford hurler and Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup finalist with WIT, Austin Gleeson as he looks ahead to the conclusion of the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup. This year, through its #FirstClassRivals campaign, Electric Ireland celebrated the unexpected alliances formed between county rivals as they come together in pursuit of some of the most coveted titles across Camogie and GAA.
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