Davy Fitzgerald boasted at the weekend that no-one had figured out Clare’s sweeper system yet. It’s no surprise. Most of us are struggling to figure out why the No.5 is playing corner bloody forward.
Such is the way hurling is going now that the only time players line up in their stated positions is for the throw-in. After that, all sense of…. sense goes out the window.
In recent weeks, we’ve been treated to Waterford’s Austin Gleeson shifting from the half back line to midfield and on to the half forwards. Lads are swapping positions all over the field and they are athletic enough to do so now.
Former Dublin and Galway hurlers Conal Keaney and Damien Hayes spoke with GAA Hour Hurling Show [from 12:20 on, below] about how, when it comes to numbers for on-field positions, nothing is what it seems.
“Another thing I can’t understand,” Hayes admitted when discussing Gleeson, “is this thing with squad numbers and Waterford.”
Keaney believes that certain players have preferred numbers but Hayes is no fan of ‘the No.6 up playing corner forward’.
All three men believe hurling is heading in one, clear direction, and the purists won’t like it – squad numbers and more on jerseys are coming. Keaney said:
“I think it’s going towards it’s nearly a squad and it doesn’t matter what number you get. You’re going to be given a number at the start of the year and it doesn’t matter.
“The way managers are calling out teams now, it’s just a general team. [The attitude is], ‘Ah it doesn’t matter. We’re going to chop and change it.”
Parkinson believes squad numbers would confuse fans, and pundits, even more but Keaney has a solution:
“What I do believe is going to happen is names on jerseys. It makes things a lot clearer.
“My Dad will be watching the game and is saying, ‘Why is the centre back up front?’ and it takes him a while to understand what’s going on. Names on the jerseys is the way to beat that.”
Names on jerseys? It’ll never catch on…
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