What is the crack event? Welcome back to another episode of the podcast. Today is another solo episode. I put up a question box on Instagram page asking what topics would people like me to cover in these solo episodes and I don't have a guest on. And one of the topics that came up was talking about my underdogs experience. So if anyone who does know what the underdogs is, it's a TV show put together by TG Carr and the idea behind it is it's a group of players who have never played Inter County Football at Championship level. They all get together, they put together a team and then they play against a counter team. So they did this back in. I think the thousand tree was the first year they did it for the play against Dublin. I don't think there was much traction with the show. The last by a couple of points in the end and in the following year in 2004 was when it really kind of took off. So from that year then the main person trauma I think everyone knows Kieran Dawnhaven Kerry and players needed from Clark as well. They were two of the main players are a deployment field that day and they bet carried down in that season as well. So it was quite well known back then. I think they did it in a couple of seasons out with them that did Kymorghe, the ladies football and kind of the traction died off and they brought it back again in 2018 and that's the year that I did it then. So I kind of just kind of talked through the journey from start to finish as best I can. It's four years ago now since we did it and the game was in October. So it's nearly four years ago since the game. So my memory might be the best in certain parts that I'm sure I'll get a couple of things wrong. We're just going to go through the whole experience of it. The bits are on camera, the bits are off camera and just kind of cracked that we had at the whole journey of it as well. So I actually came across the application while I was taking a shit. As anyone is when you're on your phone on the toilet scrolling through Instagram, scrolling through Facebook or whatever and I've seen it. It was on balls or jaw or one of these things anyway. It's like, oh, where are you? Do you have what it takes to be the underdog? And I was like, oh, jeez, the underdog is back. I'll go in and have a look. Obviously, I haven't played into a county football. Never mind, championship. I haven't played into a county football past second minor level. So I was well qualified that I wasn't going to be to be not able to do it. I didn't know it was filling out the questions. And actually before I started answering at the time, I was playing my football in Kirk and Shannon with St Mary's in Lietrim. So the only regret that I have for the whole underdog thing is saying on national television that I am from Lietrim. Now, I have no problem playing in Lietrim. I love my time playing my character and everything like that. But actually saying I'm from Lietrim as opposed to I play in Lietrim as it is two completely different things. But I was looking at getting on the Lietrim panel. I was looking to make it into an into county setup. So I was doing anything and everything I could to best my chances ago. I was thinking at the time, or if I said I'm from Roskau and I'm playing in Lietrim, that, you know, all the managers will see that he doesn't actually want to play for Lietrim blabber. So that's the only regret I have with the whole underdog experience was saying on national television, I am from Lietrim as opposed to saying I play in Lietrim and I'm not from Roskau. And so I got quite a bit of slagging about that and I'll hold my hands up on that one. And it's the only regret I have with the whole underdog experience was saying that I'm actually from Lietrim. I not that I'm playing in Lietrim. But at the time, I was playing in Kirk's playing senior football there. Football was going to okay. I had come back from a crucial injury. So I did my crucial in 2016. I thought I was playing okay. Then obviously I got the injury at the second game of championship, missed the rest of the championship 2016, came back in 2017. I thought I did okay. I thought I had no care of a year. I played the whole year. We got to semi-final. I said I did okay in semi-final as well. We lost the eventually winners by a point and they won the final by a few points in the end. So it's kind of there, there about. And then 2018, I kind of started off as similar enough. I thought I was doing okay. Playing a couple of games. Then I said the application was around May, at the end of April, start of May. I had just moved to Dublin for a new job. I used to work in Longford. And I used to live in Kirk and Shannon Henceway. I moved to Dublin then for another job around mid-March time. End of March, start of April. I moved up to Dublin for a job and seemed application. And I was going through all the questions after that. And some of them are cheesy. Obviously it's a TV show at the end of the day. And like that as well, with the underdogs, anyone who is interested in doing it or I know that the hurlers around this year as well. You're going to have to talk on camera. My Instagram page wasn't even existing back then. I had no gas gauge, a guy, it ran like that. So I was not comfortable at all in front of the camera or talking in public or anything like that. And it's just a paradox. At the end of the day, it is a reality TV show. You're going to have to talk. At some stage, you're going to have to try and get you to say things and do things like just trying to get to that. They want to get people to say in stuff that's going to like, oh, we can use this on television and stuff like that. But we're filling out the application form and it's all these kind of cheesy questions like, oh, why are you doing the underdog and what, intercounty footballer, do you compare yourself to now? And this is kind of shite. And you're kind of just filling it out. And I was like, oh, look, I played up until minor 11 and playing the senior at the moment. And I just happened to have the chance to, oh, this kind of shit. And at the very end, then, the theater record, a 30 second clip saying why you are the underdog. And I was like, oh, fuck this. I am not doing that. And I spent about 10 minutes answering all these questions. It was loads of them. And I was your position and your club level and your club history and injuries and all this kind of shite. And I got to this and I'm not filling this out. And I was like, I'm not spending fucking 10 minutes doing this. And it was only a 30 second clip. I remember recording myself and the lock myself in the room and my hand was shaking. I was so nervous. And I was in the most robotic voice ever. It's like, I want to be the underdog because I played football since I'm for, and at this kind of shite, but it wasn't used, thankfully. And I know some of that, I'd say that they didn't do it at all. And they still got to get the application to win. So it was obviously a must've been an optional thing, whether you did it or not. But some of that said that they didn't even do it. And they, they still got to the application and so on. And so that once the application of the centennial, you're told to look at whatever you've received the application, you'll hear more details and trials and stuff like that. The very first trial was on, I think it was the June bank holiday again or May bank holiday again. I think my been the May. It was early enough in the year and it was open trim. So there's two days of trials. It was a Saturday and a Sunday. And I think you got to choose which day. So it's the guy to game on the Saturday. And then the trial was on the Sunday or Monday. I can remember which one was. But I'm going to game that weekend. So I choose the second day to get me more time. Did we ask to do the first thing was a bit of a cluster of work because there was supposed to be like three games on while the trial is that I had signed up or whatever. So I was there like nine o'clock in the morning. Now I didn't get any emails saying that things been pushed out. So no one arrived until like 12. So I'm sitting around here in the car park and we were on for like three hours. And I'm like, am I in the right place now? And I was checking the Google maps and everything like that. And nothing going on. I think it was underage trend. Well, and when I got there, I was waiting around and getting a coffee and getting somebody to eat and stuff. I was up. So there's a half hour or six and the more. And I was calling from home. That's time wasn't calling from Dublin. And just a two hour spin up and just kind of make sure I got breakfast and everything on board. So I was waiting around for hours. And I didn't get any email or any confirmation to say that everything had been pushed out. So eventually like it was supposed to be two or three games turned out always be one game with the amount of people that turned up. And I think it was like 11 aside on the very first day of the trim. But look, we went through the warm up anyway. We were told who the coach is where and there was a real silk pole galvan and a barri and we didn't know who we're paying at the time when the first thing didn't tell us that yet. But when you were in the coaches where and then there was a bit of a bit of TV stuff that kind of nabbed a few lads coming in with their bags and like that or kind of big up. What do you want to do today? And are you better than this lad over here? And let's trying to get you know, trying to get a clip as opposed to use for the flip so as you know, thank you for the first day. I wasn't caught on camera now or anything like that. But we played the game and I put on my sheet that I was a corner forward or a full forward which I put on which I am which I was. I played a little bit in the center back in the last couple of years. But at the time I was a corner or a full forward. So obviously what they did was they put me in midfield for the first game for whatever reason. I don't know the most from too many forwards or something. I didn't pick my name at random. Five foot eight and me going into midfield and then I was American Finch and Cooney. Finch and from Galway he's about 6162 and he's an absolute animal of a man. I think he won three or four kickouts clean over me. There was just nothing I could have done about them and I think this either swapped him over then I just actually said midfield for the full game. I think I ended up getting a couple of points out in the end just where the game went that it was 11 aside full page. Everyone was getting on the ball and that I assume my best against Finch and I've been trying to play for Galway after the after season as well. So he was probably the best player on the team. And of course I came in the very first try so after the first five, 10 minutes I was like I'm not going to get through this now. I'm getting better to stick here in midfield and just like what can you do? Like I'm not playing in my position that I want to play and we just have that kind of have to do the best what you have. At the end of that game then there was another half to the cameras are there and asking people you know how do you feel you got on and like obviously there's some some characters that are on the first day that you know they might not play them I'm not sure if they've even taken their first just the club team or if they've ever played in and above that but you know they kind of blame the conditions of one stage it was too hot and too way or too hot and too hard then the second half start raining. It's too slippy now when I have no gloves and you know that's a stereotypical excuse is also a comment I would ask people how they got on and people thinking that they did great and then reality you know the might not get on great at all. We got through that anyway. Trial number one obviously got through that and I can't remember how many of us got through the first day but it's funny from the first trial in trim. I think a seven rated from the first trial that got through that actually started on the final day as well so the kind a nice little tight knit group from that then on the next trial then it was up in Abbott's town in Dublin just I say Blanchestown the sports centre of Ireland and you kind of once you got through those lads you kind of hung around with them and kind of made the second trial a little bit easier when you got through names and like that with trial games like anyone who's gone for trial games or counties and stuff like that before you kind of know a few people like you might know some of you went to school which or like someone in [BLANK_AUDIO]
and club or my view of the labs on your club as well. So when you're going for a trial for your county set up or development panels, it's kind of very easier. When you know a couple of people, you've played against these people before, I know that I can take him out. I know he's left footed, so I know what I wanted as right side and stuff like that. When you're going up against people that you have no idea anything about them, it's a little bit more difficult. And like that, when you're trying to interact with people on the page that you're trying to play with people, you're not sure of which side to give them the ball on and are the left foot or the right foot. And you obviously want to not be a selfish player as well. Again, this goes to any trialist out there. Like, don't try and absolutely absolutely everything yourself trying to show off during the trial game. Like you want to show your team player, you want to show you're able to play in the system. Just as you caught the ball and went back, you don't have to be seen to be runnin' up and kicking scores all day. And leaving your defensive duties out the window and then your wing forwards getting on loads of ball and score and obviously you want to play as a par of a team. I think everyone more people were doing that in the very first try. There was a couple of my fans there, but look at the end of the day, they wanted to do the best they could to show how good they were. But we got through the second trial then in Abbott's town. And you can get hung around with the lads that you're wish from the first day. And like that, like the might of the same position of you, the might of the might of the win. So when they went into the same position of you, it was great to kind of interact with them. And there was two games then on the Abbott's town. So I'm sorry, in the second trial, there was a good lack of lads that hadn't gone to the first try. Just like either they were away, they'd games on, they weren't able to commit to it. Or the case that they just didn't go. They were asked to come back obviously because they weren't as many players as possible to go to the trials. And if they missed the first round, they're kind of to got a second chance to go to the second one, even if they didn't go to the first one. So just do it, work out. So there was two games then. I think it might have been 13 aside. If not 15 aside, it was a proper full-on game. And there was four teams. So we played three, about it was 15 minutes, 15 minutes, quarter or whatever it was. Just one wasn't 15 aside. I think it was just one set, 15 minutes. So you played about 45 minutes of football. And of course, that day, as I said, I put down as a corner forward, full forward. So in the first game, I played corner forward, with Cornmock Duchen from Scam and Ballhedrin. Playing in Mayo, and we'd play it together the first day. So actually it was good in that sense that we both knew that we were in same position. So as I can, instead of trying to fight against each other and show that, oh, I'm better than you, and that we actually were working really well together inside. And we're calling runs off each other, like I've been making selfless runs to give him the ball and he'd be doing the same for me. And we worked really well together and kind of just shown that you can work with players that you've only just met. And of course, then I was put wing back for the second game for whatever reason. I didn't want to see someone else in corner forward or full forward. So I was pulled out to wing back for the second game, and I think the third game then was playing wing forward. So in hindsight, when it came to then, they had to, when you had to after each game. All right, so after the end of the game, there was like your bottom to the panelist, or something like the X-Factory had to go in and you were sitting in front of the judges and you were talking shy, but it kind of stood to me in the sense they're like, oh, Rhea Silk was laugh and he was like, oh, some questionable managerial decision to put your wing back, it was him that put me going back and it's just like, oh, well, just me I think I'm able to show, I can play wherever you put me, I can play with my field, I can play with my wing forward, I can play with my wing forward, I can play wherever you want me to play and do okay in those positions. So in that sense, it stood to me, obviously, I'd prefer to be corner forward as much as possible. And playing through those games, and again, like there's a couple of my fans there that want to really show themselves. And it kind of, sometimes, especially when there's a bigger game, it's more full on, it was, what day it was this, it was a sweater and he'd got an absolute burnt out crisp, I think on Saturday over the club game, and I got burnt out crisp again on that Sunday or Monday or whatever day it was, it was just actually sweater and he's like, like, like, like, like, just wearing bibs and no jerseys and that. And there was no say anything, it was that heart. And then I have to score a short of a day playing these three games or whatever. And like that, if anyone knows, a trial is going, like, you're kind of chatting away to people, there is that element of competition as well, like, as a saying, I was making ones, they're a karma and stuff, but like, we kind of bought new together that there's a good chance if we sure we're working together here, both was to kind of get through, as opposed to, I want to get on every single ball and kick every single score and not let him get anything where it looks like I'm the selfish player, which doesn't stand well to me. So we kind of, we had the connections with people and as I was saying, the last one from Trim, and the last, there were in another, a try-cammer, where the other try-it was, but they're kind of working together then as well. And when you see the last end as well, it was two of the last from Roscoman. There was Trevor Merck, that's from St. Barry's, who I played all my underage, up against Trevor, I know I know Trevor well, and named him and don't know who then, the journalist, a quite good journalist, with the time stress, I don't know if you've listened to this, which one you're on, but he's from Ben Porik, he's now, as I said, I was saying, it's from Lieu Trim, but I'm actually from Roscoman. So I kind of tied him with them, and I think a couple of lads, you've been from college and stuff like that. So all the trialists came together in the second day, a couple of lads kind of knew each other, and obviously knew each other from the first day as well. So they kind of made the thing a bit better as well. And well, it was not to happen about the trials, if I don't hear what the cams and stuff. Not true that anyway. So everyone was called into the room, which the ex-factor judges room, and then you're asked, "Why do you think you should get through and what do you do, and what do you think you can bring?" And all this kind of just general shite for the cams. Like I said, the whole thing could have been done and 10 minutes pick in the team, but everyone had to go in and everyone had to get their chance. And if anyone who did see the show, it was the time when the keeper was like, "I am the underdog." And I was funny because the way that I was the show was not entirely to ensure everyone's results or whatever. But then I was one of the last three there, because I was living and jobin' at the time, and I was only like, I have a 20-minute drive, and there was Laz there, coming from Derry, and Down, and Kerry, Clark, and Antrim. It's Laz gone for an awful distance. And I was like, "I should look, I'm only 20 minutes at the road." Like anyone who's gone for a big spin, let them go first. Which in hindsight, I sure was, I said I was going home for a scam. 'Cause I would have been gone two hours earlier, but he was one of the last three, I think he was in just after me, and then there was no laugh, that then, again. And he was like, "Look, the dash putin' tree keepers through." I've seen the dash putin' tree keepers through. So I'm just gonna go in, and I'm just gonna say, "Oh, I'm just gonna be cheesy." I was like, "Oh, I need to make a show myself here to give me the best chance to get in." That's what he did, and they actually had to think about it. That brings someone else back in, and they had to send them out again and think about it. So in that sense, like, nearly played off from, nearly played off from, it was fun to look back on. 'Cause you don't know what people say when they're in the interview rooms and stuff like that. So that was the one that I am, the underdog, and then he nearly got true, 'cause I was in Fair Play at home. He didn't make it true, so I can't remember how many of us got true in the end, was it, 30, 31, 32, an average, an average panel size then. So we didn't know, they kinda come and go, they'd let us come down, and they'd say, "Oh, I got true, and then the cameras are all made "cause they're all cheering, clapping, celebrating." Just shite, obviously, for the cameras. But then, the lights, we got true first, they didn't know who got true after them. As I was saying, I was on the last tree, so I kinda had a good gauge of who's gonna be there and who wasn't, and then after a while then, they stopped filming everyone clapping because the less you were allowed there, the worse look of cameras, I suppose. So you kinda have a rough idea who got true, who didn't get true, and the lights are made from the first day, who got true and who didn't. And our first camp then was in AIT, in Atlone, in an institute there, and we played against St. Bridget Stain as well. So I think it was a Monday choose, a Wednesday, or a Monday or a midweek, and like this as well, a lot of the time, I was like, I'm glad that's the take time off work, and take holidays off work and stuff. And you didn't get the most time to request time off, and I didn't wish we was getting off work and stuff. It was with camps around the weekends around games, it's when it got a little bit funny, and a missing stuff, but I don't think there was a camp where every single player was there together, apart from the final game. And that's just the way it is. It's hard to get everyone, especially when it's not a counter team, or it's not your club team. Like, lads have jobs, their families, they have their club as well, and they're trying to keep up. And this is going on June, July, August. Like this is going on, mid-championship season. So obviously the club championship is going to take number one for most people, and this is going to be secondary. And then trying to balance work and life and home and everything else around that. So it's just to it was like there might have been times and players were put up for the nomination. So again, in each camp, then, three players are put up for nomination before the game. They play the game, then after the game, then one then goes home, like just a kind of absolute reality TV show. It's just the way it is. Someone got a whole cent home each camp. But the might of been times and players kind of felt a bit. Hard to bite if they're put in the up for nomination. If lads were missing camps, lads weren't there. If they thought maybe I'm probably better than him. But he's not here. So he can't be put up for nomination. But that's just the way it was. And it's a competition as well at the end of the day. And you just have to play what's in front of you. And if they're not there, they can't be eliminated. So I suppose there was some conversations then people saying, oh, he's only missing this camp because he doesn't want to get caught. And at the end of the day, there's a competition for players and people not making excuses, but like people trying to call people out and stuff like that. And it was a paradigm. It was a paradigm. And then we were in that loans. We got our test and zone. We got our counter-moving jumps. So testing how high we jump, our leg power, doing our 10-year sprint, 13-year sprint, and then we did the yoga test and body fat levels. All the general jazz and going through diets and nutrition, the next size plans and stuff like that. Kind of bring us into an intro-county mindset, basically, the quad-duty intro-county teams do, compare us to intro-county levels. And obviously, all of them club players know there was a massive difference there. And some things, and other things, then some labs are quite close. You could tell the labs who had played intro-county, who were on league panels and stuff like that. They were quite close to everything whereas labs who hadn't been that close are quite a bit away. So I know myself, my fitness was terrible. And I know I had played a game that weekend. My fitness is always a big issue. So I was actually above average on the body fat levels, the sprinting and the jumping, the leg power. It was just my fitness, aerobic fitness is what let me down in those heads. At the time then, I was very, very lean. So I think I just kind of turned the curve on, wanted to be super lean because I see an Instagram as a postman of performance. So I just come out of having a poor enough performance in a couple of games for the club that I was going to be doing.
as I write notes up, getting knee notes, time study, more time performance, number one. So I just kind of turned the tide and that, but my body fat levels are still very low. So remember the first day, we were not alone. I think my body fat level is like 4.8 and the calibrars because now that's not a very accurate reading. That's just off that scale. I know I wasn't 5% body fat, that's body builder stage lean body fat. And I wasn't down at that level, both off the calibrary, I was reading 4.8. I think I was something like 78 kilos on the bottom or 78.3 or something like that. And I was like from the first day, I was like right, I know I can eat loads and I was eating about 4,000 calories a day after that give or take. And all that's to be do then, that was kind of it then. We kind of went, Lads kind of was getting to know each other then, we're getting the canteen and stuff and we're just kind of getting used to the cameras and the couple of lads get pulled away for a few interviews and stuff like that. How would you get on or who's the fit is, who's the unfit is like, they're trying to get you to say stuff. So what they would love for you to say, like, oh, just I'll Gary, or daily there, he was awful unfit, like, I can't believe he was so unfit. That's what they wanted Lads to say. And like obviously, no one is doing it. Like at the end of the day, like, no one is going to call someone out in the first camp of all camps and no one did anyway. And I think we had a train session then and just kind of a general kind of a general train session. And then we did the water, the water pack thingy, the obstacle course and water, and Hudson Bay. So I was funny like, I was after the train and then I remember Paul Gabner's talking with like, I'd like to see the big game now tomorrow the day before again, what I like to do is I put my feet up. I don't like to do too much and suddenly relaxing in my mind folks for the game. And then he's like, what are you doing out in the evening Lads? And he's like, oh yeah, we're all going to a water pack thingy as I got for folks to take. But I always go crack all the things. Like like that, like it was a team band and session thing then as well. And he gave it a crack in the Lads. Good on slide. Some Lads would terrify the water and some Lads would jump off. So often that was just a bit of crack like. Then we were staying in student accommodation. And so the five or six was to a room. What I think after that, like Lads were going to know. So they went to bed. And we were playing some British saying on the Tuesday evening. So Tuesday during the day then, I think it was kind of a dinner. We did like another workshop on some shout out or nutrition or recovery and stuff like that. It was kind of a boring enough daily enough to the game. I think the world of co-op was out. So I was watching that and I were four on this stuff like that was a lot of waiting around. And with this, like with the TV show, it's a lot of waiting around. Like you could be waiting around for an hour just because they're getting sound set up or they're getting stuff set up. And you're just waiting in the dressing room and then before you go out and have a training session. I think we might just had a very light transition just kicking a ball around just for something to do. And with a warm up and stuff like that, to swing around, arson around, just getting to know each other. And we played some British then. And like long story short, we lost by a point. But like playing like the likes of an extending club ride as playing the evening club ride as playing Rollin' the Stack, Brian's not sure if Brian's not sure if Brian's not sure. Brian's not sure if Rollin' the Stack is playing, but that a strong team out. A good crowd as well. And we lost that by a point. I think the keeper kicked a 45 off the ground towards the end. Tight game, good game. And then Trilazro for the chapter then. Thankfully, I wasn't in the first camp. I was in the first camp. I was in the young light Jesse Wallace from Corco's Central home. And after that then on the Wednesday, oh, sorry, at the Tuesday night then, we went back to the student accommodation and they all filmed us wrong for the day or whatever. And there was a student bear, the tacking, or the tack house or something like that. And we went in there for one or two to wet our whistle and they ended up staying in there like three or four in the morning. Your man was watching the movie in the corner. And we must have had about 10 pints. And I liked that. That was not a camera. But that's the kind of memories that we have from it. Like the crack we had in there after the game. And people just tell us stories and stuff like that. And it was that was good crack. Then on the Wednesday then, Karen Dunne, he came on a talk with us and I was unbelievable. Chad then just going through his own experience. And like that, only I say about five minutes of the show on the tele, where he's talking just about half an hour and it's taken sort of away from that. And then I was first camped on then. We lost the game, but no, good crack. One last at home. Next camp then was the defence forces. So like that, I missed the first day because I did a game. I sure was a league game or a championship. I think it was a league game at the time. And look, I missed it. And some other last missed it as well as last going from Derry down to the camp in Nays or wherever it was in Cladayr and the Kura camp, whatever that is. Exactly. Going down on a Saturday, going back home up to Derry and going back down on the Sunday. And Lads drew that and joined the goal. Not just saying, not trying to say one or two Lads during the everyone was doing it. Everyone was trying to get to their club games, come back and make these sacrifices going up and down and going to the country to their games and stuff. And I missed the Saturday. Just the time the game was on and everything like that. I didn't get up to the Sunday morning. And then I remember I get up there and I was wearing like the compression shorts. And Lads, I like take them off. Get them off. Everyone has to be wearing the same thing. We got off to wear our black shorts and our training top. I was like, ah, yeah, whatever. And honestly, the people got fucking were told to push up and all this stuff because they didn't do it the right day first day. So everyone had to be uniform. So I obviously missed the first day. Didn't obstacle course and doing all this stuff that I've seen on the tele afterwards. And it looked like it was good crack as it was. But it was tough going like it's everyone had to be uniform or even had to be big up for the air instead of. And before that, and on second, then we're going to another obstacle course day. And like that, on camera, you're on camera, you're on camera, you're on camera, you're on camera. And just said, look, Lads, I'm going to put on a show here. Like look, I'm going to big it up for the show. But if you don't do it, I say, I have no problem telling you what to fucking do and you don't do it. So like you say and you're going to like, big up for the cameras, but if you don't do it, he says like he's no problem for components to work like. And that was the case. Like we're, we're hard to have to do. I say we ran about two miles at the warm up, following the air meter, and I was like, back to the front and noon pushups and all this stuff. And we got this big field then. And with this big log and these sandbags, like these two body bags, they're like supposed to resemble a person which are running at kilometer. And the first, I didn't tell us exactly where to go. Like to leave everything a little bit vague, see if you pick up yourself. So we had to run over. That wasn't good enough. I had to go back to the start, or do it again. That wasn't good enough back to the start again. So I do it like three times before there was a set. It was good enough. And when we got there, then there was a big circular rope. And there was four different teams then. It was a four way, it took a war. And it, Joe, it wasn't shown on camera at all. I thought it was one of the best things that we did because it was good crack. It was tough work as well. But it was good crack. And a four way, it took a war. And then it was four teams of however many. Then the back person would have to sprint around and come back to your position. And then if you did it fast, and someone else you'd more people on your side, so you're pulling it more on one side. And it was tough going, it was good crack. And the other stuff that everyone was on the ground and yet to account from one to however many. And yet to remember what ord or someone else said and if you got wrong, you got to do pushups and stuff like that. That was good crack. And then we did run another, I don't sure, or mile or whatever. I think then obviously we're going to be giddy with that. We're going to laugh and be joking going on. And then we're fucking told down in squats and shut it out, we're messing, that's staring at the whole thing and we're not long. Getting back in a good mindset. I got to the brave heart hill. And you know what the carra brave heart hill is this big massive, massive hill. So what to do then is we're in groups of however many, that can't remember exactly how many was. We had pushed this tire up and you only had like 10 seconds to push the tire. Then you go back to the back of the group and then the next group goes. But we started at the same starting point. So you weren't allowed to follow the tire to begin with. So the same starting point, you get to sprint up, push the tire or pull the tire whatever it was was pulling by a rope or something. And then you went back to the back of the group. So by the front of the tire went away from the starting point, the less time you had to do it. So you're sprinting, you're strung your best, the sprint up and get it moving as far as possible. And it's a shorter time. But like that, you're absolutely boosting yourself. But after a while then we started slowly walking up. So the starting point started slowly matching where the tire was. This can't see. I say you're only working for about 10, 15 seconds and then you're back to the back. And you're absolutely boosting yourself. And eventually then towards the end, I said the last 20 meters of that everyone got on board. Everyone started running and pushing the tire next to that. And just one of those moments, like I know it's as cliche and cheesy as it sounds like, oh, we'll remember this when we're playing the games. You remember this. And like they still want those things. They probably the toughest training session that Don was doing that. Ray have had hill. And I'm sure why anyone else, but I was absolutely goose after doing this anyway. And then we had a training session after that. And we played the game the next day against the defense forces. We lost that on as well. And I can't remember if our cloud tighter was out close. So I was setting camp. I kind of want to fly through these, what kind of happens. But like that's just kind of chatting away. And a lot of it is off camera. And a lot of it is like we're staying in the, in the bunk. So whatever. And I'm sorry, no interest in taking a drink here. We're most getting dry. And yeah, a lot of it is off camera. A lot of it is the crack you have with the lads and stuff. And that was the second one then. That was a tough one. That was a tough weekend. And all the accounts, like training sessions, after doing them days of obstacle course and stuff. I didn't go out and play in the game the next day. And going home, you're absolutely goose. Now after playing a game that we can, I played again, that we can and lots of other lads did. It's playing two games one weekend and top of obstacle course and everything like that. Tough going. It was tough going. The next one we did then, I didn't get much of it. It was in Klangos as a college in mid and the play against Morfield. So one of the lads, Anthony Journey, he was from Morfield. So he played against his own team. I actually won this game. I missed it. I missed it. It was a work. I wasn't able to go work off on the Friday. So I missed the Friday. I went there on the Saturday and I had a championship game with the Sunday. So I only did like a training session. I didn't do a whole pile. I missed more. So they'd roll stories in that evening. And on the Sunday then when I had a championship game, they had me all over the heart. They'd talk to them as well. And it's just one of those things that I wasn't able to get the work off. I had a championship the next day. So I had to go home and I was missing the game. And I didn't play the game against Morfield either, because I was asked to come on. And I told him before the game, I had a championship on Sunday. I'm not going to play it, but I did the warm up during the game and they asked me to come on. I said, no, I have a championship next day. Look back. Look at 10, 15 minutes. One of them in the end of the world. At that time, you're under the best for your club, too. And we won the championship game. I think we actually won quite well in the game. So I was going to look back on that. I could have played that on. They didn't put it anywhere. So at the point, I saw a candidate talking that camp in Klangos, because I missed most of it with work and then with the championship on the Saturday.
So, missed that one. I think then again, there was a few points after that game. I obviously wasn't able to enjoy them either on the Saturday evening because I was going back home on the Sunday. And I think there was a few sore heads. And a few sore heads were listening to me on my heart check. I think someone, someone called a name hoop, or someone got a bottle of vodka in the form of the way home. And so, I think the last go crack. I think there might have been a big spooky ghost in Klango. I think the school is haunted. I'm not sure if there was a spooky ghost or someone who had a bit sheet over their head, but the school is haunted. So, I hear I wasn't saying there. So, I can only speak from what I was told. But I think the go crack had that night anyway, but I can miss it. Next comes in, went down to Kerry. And, driving down to Kerry on a Friday from Dublin. I came straight from work. I came from Dublin and I had got to work off on the Friday. I had a chance to get in the Saturday. So, Friday went down there, and the currents, the Kerry Center of Excellence, on believable setup. But even like small things that annoyed me. I was saying, "I've champs you tomorrow. I'm not going to tag off for the training session." It was a big enough championship game. It was their last group game. I needed to win to get through or to top a group. If we won't be top-of-groupers, it was like a game we wanted to win. And I was saying, "I'm not sure if I should tag or not. I should have to drive down and drive. I was driving back up on the Saturday then." And you would have been told, "Oh, no, no. It's only going to be a very life warm. I'm going to kick around, turned into like a 10-minute-side game. Quite intense game. It was again in the Kerry Center of Excellence. Aiman Ryan was there. I got a lesson. He came down and gave us a talk afterwards. And he was in silence. Everyone was like, "Not to show off. Everyone wants to show off." "Look, we're a good team here." And it was great. It was a great training session. But I didn't, I'd prefer if I didn't do it today before a championship game. After the training session then, we got a great talk from Aiman Ryan. It was one of those talks where known in the room talk. It was Joe's team. And everyone was listening to every word he was saying. I was just talking about, I can't even remember how long it was. It felt about 10 minutes, but when you're looking to phone after you realize how long you were there for, it was unbelievable talk. I won't even try and. Room, what he said, but trying to replicate what I said. It's just stuff there. And he just had examples. And he had pages of books and stuff. It was just unbelievable. And he got all the sense out of the picture of it afterwards. And it was just one of those talks where everyone was just quiet. And he was talking in a man of such knowledge. One of those benefits of doing it when you get to hear talks from people like that. Go down and get to see the Carey Center of Excellence. And before that actually on the Friday as well, we got to go into Austin Stack Park where the first of our $100 game was in 2004 and get to see that page. And Mickey Netto was talking to us. He did actually manage the following year. He was in 2004 and he did the year after us and he was given us a talk. I'm unable to. Even when we were in our tracks, we were kicking ball over the bar in Clarenary or Trelay. And I guess I'd never get a chance to do that before this. I never get a chance to do it again. I'm unable to say that. No, there's not that it was even in the competitive match. I'm unable to say that I kicked the ball over the bar. And I carried you around and trained their center of excellence. I never want to say I'm going to be able to do that again in my life. And I wouldn't have got a chance before that. So if anyone is unsure, these are the things that you're getting it from. And getting to talks from Ray Silkin, Valor McKay and Paul Gallivan. And like being able to pick their brains and certain things. And getting to talks from Amon Ryan, Mickey Netto Sullivan. Like I missed me on a rehearsal and what that. I missed Rory's Roy's. If you're if you're something to find some enjoyable, like you're missing things like this as well. And like we got a tough one Karen down here before that as well. Like these are kind of things that it's made that makes it worthwhile. But as I said, and I had a game in Sarra so I drove from Kerry back up home for on the Saturday morning for a game. Came back down Saturday and I had to play the full game. I remember sitting in the car pack after the game in Carichan, and I was going to test going on. I was getting these shiny sand, whatever was left in the meal deal. I remember thinking I could easily ring up the, because we had the numbers for the production team or whatever. I could easily ring up here and say, I'm I forget the dead leg in the game. I think I'm going to miss this out and I've got to bother going back down because I said I was going to come back down after the after the air game. To play the underdogs game on the Sunday. As I could so I saw easily now could you just give a text and say, I'm I forget the dead leg. I'm picking up a knock here. It's going to leave it. I said enough, like it's a once in a lifetime opportunity like to do this. I just go, I just go. I remember a guy's far as tuned then. That's what now and half spin. And usually, tuned, you go to go away or something. You're nearly there, but another three hours to go or two hours to go, have a long of hours and stop me to get a coffee. And then on the motorway, then going down the M6 or whatever the rules call, was limerick and down that way. And there's ringing people are chatting away to someone anyone who's looking to listen to me and listen to songs and that. And then I pulled in then to get another drink or something somewhere along the way and just a stop. I go for a piss or something and seeing on snapchat then all the ads from the team and character. They're allowed after the game. I know it's just saying the songs. The pub having the crack and a few drinks and I was like, what am I doing? I could have said I had something on or I got hurt and I could go in there and had the last crack of the lads. But doing this for a reason. And that's kind of stuff again, all off-camera. And I'm not saying I'm doing what they did this. I'm not the only person that did this. Everyone, at one stage or another had a game on the weekend and was going up and down on the same day at the same camps and having two games, two days in the room. I'm not trying to say either you're the only person that did this. Oh, poor me. But it's just that the effort and the dedication that everyone put in for this was absolutely unbelievable. Now everyone was in the same board because it's in championship season. They got down anyway back into the hospital. They were all sitting in the hospital as well. It was about ten to a week in the room. I should I go back into the room then. The pillow and the bed was gone. The driveway was gone and someone else was sleeping somewhere else and yet to kind of grab whatever you could get. And I was in care of the warden. And the biggest thing I was on about it, I wasn't able to carry out. I wasn't able to eat right. Eating a shitey hotel breakfast the next day. And I was staring in the game against the carry team. I can't remember what the club was called. I think of the intermediate time. I remember staring and I remember I've been absolutely just went. I remember I got taken off at half time and I couldn't remember anything I had done in the first half. I'm not sure if I can touch the ball once or twice. I was just so tired and drained and I was just fucked. I was just done. I was so tired and everything. And I wasn't offered the final trade round. I think this camp I remember just once it was done then just wanted to go to bed. And drive all the way back to double another three and a half hours. I remember just once that was done. I was just I was so tired and the two games and two days and all the traveling and everything like that. I was fucking erect. And that was a third camp over camp around now next camp then it was in a gourmet's town in me the game. And I think I like that I went after work in the Friday. So I missed it was a mindset thing as a boy. I support the college students and the lads and I missed that one. But I came after work and again I challenged him Saturday. So I was going to come down and come back up. And after a training session I went to talk to the lads, the Ray and Paul over the sand there. I was like, oh I'm going to be missing tomorrow during the day, but we're back in the evening time. And I didn't realize what I was on the show then. So I was putting the final tree for this camp. And I hadn't realized in the show then there's film there are film our training session and Paul again. I was like, oh yeah, I need to have a word or Gary. You know, he's not doing well and he's getting pushed off the ball and the carry game. And he's not pushing back and stuff like that. And I went just so much to say to the lads, they go, look I've challenged tomorrow. I'll be down and going to home sitting and I'll be back up tomorrow or whatever. And then they're like, oh yeah, we actually want to talk to you. And then all of a sudden I see this cameraman running over. And you know, the boom box, the thing with the microphone you all coming over and the camera and my face and the two lads, I'm like, oh fuck, what the fuck is going on here. And they're basically saying, I think I've had the thing on my Instagram before, the clip has like, oh you're like, you're you've all the attributes that we're looking for. You look like an inch kind of up or even an inch count of a Zeke, but you're not playing like it. And you know, you just saying, you can push off the ball and the carry games. Do you remember that? And I said, I don't remember what you're on about. Someone pushed me. I didn't push them back because I was so tired. And the carry in that carry club game that I don't remember. I was so wrecked and I don't understand. Like, I'm not making excuses, but I had a challenge that day before I'm driving up and down. The guy in the hotel, it's hard, it's hard, yeah, but like you need to, you need to fucking do it or you've gone home. So I went home then and I was like, oh fuck this now. I was like, oh fuck, I'm gone here. And then I got dropped for the club game. I'm in all things because I was trying to burn the candle board ends. I was trying to play everything for the club and trying to play with the underdogs and do my gym work. And I was doing too much gym work. I'm back on a show. That's a different, a different story I've talked about before. But I was missing trains at the club because I was at the underdogs. I was missing underdogs. Of course I was at the club. So you're kind of your burn the candle board ends and you're missing bits here. You're missing bits there is a lads plan bed new to clubs. The lads plan bed you're underdogs. You're trying to play as best you possibly can at the same time, whereas it's very, very, very difficult to do that. And especially like if it is the goal, what's been an intercounty setup there on different seasons, there are a lot of different times of the year. So like once the intercounty setup is done, then you can go full hog for the club and vice versa. Whereas we're trying to like train like an intercounty team with the underdogs and also play for a club champ at the same time. And I'm not saying, again, not saying poor me, I'm saying for everyone involved in this, that it is a difficult thing to manage. It's a difficult thing to balance. And if you're someone who is doing this and I know that I've actually a couple of lads from the Harlan or one lad in the Harlan strong this year and having the same issues as well, it's a hard to balance everything. So again, I got drafted the club and I have no problem with that. And you know what? It's probably the best thing that could have happened because I didn't, I think I came on in the last couple of minutes and I think I scored a goal and a point or something like that. I've set up a goal a bit and only pay 10 minutes of back up then and I was because I was told I wasn't actually tall as in the bottom tree. I had to talk them with Friday night and when I got back up on the Saturday or as Texan, Texan lads, actually I stayed up there as well. I was trying to lads and I was told two lads were told that they're in the bottom tree. I was at two lads called Grim actually, the full back and the keeper. And they were told they're in the bottom tree. I had to talk in the Friday night. There's three lads in the bottom tree. I wasn't there on the Saturday so I put two and two together. I'm obviously in the bottom tree. So I went to the game and I played in Wolftorns.
and I made and like did I would avoid another thing that annoying me as well like I know probably been in the bottom tree because in the bottom tree look at that's fine I've no problem with that the ways until the warm up to tell me and we're waiting around for as I say and there's so much waiting around here the easy could have like took a film thing up like in the fucking hotel or wherever we're staying or before the game before we got out of the door because of walking around the picture and it's messing around the balls the easy could have got a camera there like look at pulling the side tell me in the bottom tree in the I'd come out of the warm up to be told in the bottom tree again no problem been in the bottom tree I think the way that the did it is kind of you could have fucking told me a bit earlier and then the camera man in production team pull me aside then like oh you know I'm missing more of the warm up now to talk about how I feel about being in the bottom tree I'm like I forgot for fuck sake like it's like you could have told me before I'm doing the warm up here so I can actually get a full warm up in and it's kind of and I'm ever I'm ever seen look I've got here to me basically go out my sword or go me sheen driver I didn't put that in I thought that was a good line but eh eh didn't put that in so in the gourmins town camp I talk a little bit more than I would have liked because I got put on camera then with Paul Gavin and Résil I was talking there and then they put me aside afterwards and like oh how do you feel about that and then obviously in the bottom tree I talk again so it was my talking episode and it was watching I don't know what episode it was but I end up going through goals in the game and I end up having a really good game and the keeper actually towards growing before the I think it was a second of he don't and because of not that it looked there I think I was good enough to get through regardless but some got injured and he wasn't able to be kept on I had to go game a score to goals obviously and I thought I had a really good game I'm excited as well so it's just one of those camps that it was tree not not to shoot my own horn it was tree very good players in that the fallback rim heavy as well he's a very good fallback and Graham goes Graham Bedford you know he's next and keeper as well I think he was a one under 21 hour in with Dublin as well and he injured his groin Torres groin so he was gone and I played well so I got through before the obviously the final tree and with the extra judges again there and you have to stay at your case and oh why do I deserve to be here and blah blah blah and look at it's it's all for telly so for sure like so I was the first one out of the room but been told I got true so I actually didn't know who's gonna get dropped so I then I seen the fallback was an ex person out so then I got it the keeper's gone so and that's kind of the it's a silly scenario when you're down there with them because all the rest of the guys gone home so they don't know who left which is another thing that the first day when you went but the rest of the camp then you don't know who sent home because we it was the very last thing that was done the rest of the team goes home after you're not you don't have to stay around lads you're done chat you later we had a we have a group chat they still go on obviously and we didn't know it's kind of a mess it goes up afterwards who got who goes home lads and after the whole thing then the Graham left the group chat is like lads I'm not able to see the group chat I'm not able to see you have the cracker up in there and I can understand that but I love to have kept them involved the whole thing and he came to the final game as well and I was chatting after the game and I said I can't come out close to second whatever any and he didn't I can understand that like I got dropped from our scum and panel before after the league and we won the league and we won the championship and I wasn't the championship panel and I was asked to go to the the medal ceremony because I was going to get a league medal and I'm ever seen and I'm not going I'm not a part of the team like I yeah I played a bit of the league I won the league medal I'm not the championship team I'm not going to go to this thing and make a fucking ass myself feel like oh I'm still part of the team lads will look at me and one of you I can understand him from that point but like it's it's not a direct thing like a counter team or a club team like it's it's a whole experience to be true I can understand both sides where I'm and I'm a that was kind of thing that people left left the group after some people stood on and I know Padmer and some people left it and then didn't really show up afterwards but you can see both sides as well and it was kind of hard to see when you're getting you're getting close to the games and lads stepping away and stuff like that so that was a that was the camp I was in the in the bottom tree I might win the last code actually so the next game how many games is that we played against and the Brigitte's defense forces more field carry team and and what drones yep so that's five games in next camp then Norm was I don't think I was dropped at the last camp we went back down to EIT so we got retested and all our stuff as well I won't actually I won't open the body fat 0.2% and I put on 0.3 of a kilo I was eating like a horse for about three months and only put on 0.3 of a kilo that's because I was saying how much I'm training with the club with the underdogs and I was doing too much gym sessions a week so I was eating my four thousand calories and when we put on that little bit of weight so again I was under eating for what my one me needs where I wanted to really put on the weight but side of the point got retested then and I think I just went around to say I'm the jump and the run was a little bit around the same I did actually didn't get to do the the yo-yo test cause I did game the next day like it's a thing like your games the next day your games the day before it's hard to do all these tests and play all these games and stuff and I miss the yo-yo test now I presume or to go better I hope or to go better anyway and but like that's one of these camps that there wasn't a whole pile there because it was kind of split across the day or two as well like we were done I think was really a day actually we're down there we were down got tested and I day and I think we're paying UCD then the midweek game or something like that and so yeah I think it was split up but I wasn't a full camp it was just a day not long and then we were drawn and I'd a challenge game or just I'd challenge get my challenge game the next day I'm not sure if this day the night or not or whatever but again I wasn't back in the team for the championship team yeah but we're just a quarter final out this day and I still wasn't back in the team I kind of convinced myself the first day because it was the last group game I got dropped to give me a rest and it's funny how how you can kind of convince yourself that I'm when I'm when he getting rested here now yeah there's no one to take in my place whereas when it came to the quarter final game I still wasn't starting and I was like oh fuck I should I'm dropped I'm like and I came on towards the end of that and I was fucking rage and then like I just just worked really hard because after the UCD game then we had a big break from doing camps and that's that's I load the time then really for the focus in for the club and so the UCD game then and I think was the midweek again was a one-off day I think and we played them I would ask again I'm not sure how much we lost by but I'm a right command score scored one one so I scored two goals and last game can't score one one so I finished the camps and finished the games really strong and I think that that was another clip I had on scored the goal and and Rislick said Gary would really demand the goal and touch look at just form comms and anyone who is struggling for former confidence moment after after the when I was in the bottom tree I'm not sure I don't think I've ever ever said this online rents like that I sat in my car for about 10 or 15 minutes and just silence I was so done with it like I remember going into the fight into the thing before the game of course I played well I was nearly like I dropped me I don't care like I'm just so done I'm so tired my body is fucking air can't get in dropping the club team my calm from this low on playing shit I don't care I don't care anymore I remember I played good in the game obviously got through the camera remember to sit in the car just completely deflated and I just just sat there and no no music I'm already wondering that now I'm grinding and I just sat there and I was just so fucking done I just deflated and demotivated and just kind of like what what more can I do and do other kind of things like what more can I do to do better when I'm doing everything whereas all I need to do look I'm back on it was take a step back reduce my train and load reduce the gym worker and obviously I need to do the camps need to do the club training that's all you need to do increase my food and reduce the gym workers what I need to do and focus on my sleep that there are three things that I wasn't doing I was sleeping little I was training too much and I wasn't eating to match my train load and that but I remember just been deflated and just I remember the Valerie and Paul came out I remember nearly going over I didn't I nearly went over to thank them or to fucking I didn't know what I asked them for fucking guidance or something remember nearly going out and just asked me what do I need to fucking do like they quite what more can I do I didn't do it in the end and I don't think I ever set that online but like that was not a little point but I remember just thinking I asked the fuck I'm pointing to but anyway got through that and drives it obviously is draft for the next game but then came out against UCD scored one one after getting two goals in the last game so I was like right no the confidence coming out as I was saying anyone who is struggling with confidence or a form just keep at it just keep fucking it just keep doing the simple things well because that was one thing I was told to me the bar get bounced over my head I get some silver fucking struggling with but I just missed reading the time the book for the ball comes in it's at the awkward height if you run too fast it was overhead and if you slow down someone's up your whole anyway I worked on that and I won lots of ball in the game where scored two goals and in the UCD game scored one one and I was like right fucking four I was back here now I just can't the point of score it was a really good point I was like right I won't take that on two weeks ago but I'm confident it's high notes and won't take this on so I kind of finished the last two games going three walks on into games you know that kind of sticks in the mind with the managers when it comes to speaking the final team we break them for a couple of weeks before we played the game the game I think I was on the 80s or 19th of October and we're kind of coming into in September I think I was a several October there's a couple of weeks in between anyway and maybe one or two trainings off camera with Paul Pogabran as a zone and it's open dribbling like lies were traveling from dairy to legal car carry all our not car cut car cars gone but from carry and everywhere to train in Dublin if it's a collective session drive up to the train and drive home I was fortunate I was living in Dublin at the time so I didn't have two par at school but the commitment from the lies is second to none and it's them them trains were where we really focused on you know where tactics are drills and I game playing so no cameras there and Paul was very reserved with cameras on which is weird you know that only game was expected to be as quiet when the cameras are there I think that's what the thing was he was a you know he was a showman and you know the fashion designs and he's done a documentary and stuff before so I think people are expecting to be more you know in front of the camera and be a big man not a big man who join me like trying to have more personality on camera he wasn't them and we're off camera
camera, it was when he really kind of came out with friends like look like I hate the cameras. That's what happened to crack and it was serious. We're doing very good serious transitions and doing drills and stuff like that and it was really good. And he was doing one with us, it was just Paul and us and all cameras and then it was really good transitions. And we had the crack kind of got to know him a little bit more as well. He kind of let himself out a little bit more as well as postman on cameras. And if they're kind of transitions and that's some same stuff off camera that sticks in our minds and they're really good, re-enjoy those transitions. And I was saying that then I was able to give a little bit more to the club then because I was like I'm getting back in this welcome set in team for the semi-finals I don't care. And just when the form was coming back around, when my form was coming off after back of the two good games and the underdogs, training was going well and I even remember I pulled the manager aside and I always say this a lot, if you're not sure what you need, what more you need to do, ask your managers. I pulled the manager aside after training and I said look at like what else do I need to do? Because I really want to start into this team for the semi-finals. I feel like I'm moving well now, I feel like I'm playing well, what more do I need to do? And he said you keep trained the way you are at momentary mistakes. And as I get one that's it. That's an open up bullshit. You know like you need to do this then you need to you know kick more scores and you're a bit unfit. It was stretch the point. It's like if you keep if you keep going the way you're going you'd be certain. Not that that wasn't a promise. So I need to keep that form going, get that form going, play the semi-finals last by a couple of points. Play it, I played okay and say find the score to point in it and play the full game and your year was done. Again another thing we'll commitment like that was a week before the underdogs game or two weeks. My been two or three weeks before the game whatever it was might have been two weeks and all the ads going out and having to win, have a look at it and then leave and let them you know blast him at the end of the season. And that was another thing like when the season was done when the club aspect was taken out of it and you should have hung around with the club then offered the underdogs and it was kind of a long wait. We weren't trained as much then because the camps were all done like that the weekends are kind of free so you're kind of up to your left your own devices. We had the one transition a week up in Dublin and the club was finished as well. So again you don't lose that sharpness so you're still going out in your own. It's hard to get out like I was working proper job at time like five so hard to count the events when there's no lights on anywhere. So just trying to do as best you can and trying to keep that sharpness open. I can only knock on lose that fitness into a three weeks before just keep that match sharp and just keep that speed up. And then we had another transition up an Abbott's town in the centre of accents then just like I get just a transition and to go through the team. And we had a stats guy in and I was an analysis where everyone to call him. We were all wearing the stats board stuff or the GPS trackers were one of the games. We went through that on the day of the game actually and he pulled out I think he had that information as well and we're looking at videos and just going through bits and pieces about what Lazio and Wright were Lazio and Ron general chit chat before a game and in the name of the team then. And the way they did it then was to pull in all the subs first and told them they weren't staring basically because they left all the staring players outside and then Lazio and two together looked around to his outside. The look round to his inside and I remember I went for a piss and I came back up and it was the last way and I was like oh I think they're named the team. And my first reaction was like do I need to be in there? Did they call my name to go in there? Because again when you're unsure about what way they're going to name the team like everyone is saying or I think it would mean you inside and I think it would be this and that. You don't know what story is now. It was I asked you in there because I'm not confident that you're going to stare and then like no no no the only thing I said was to make sure everyone's in there and then the team or whatever and I didn't know my infamous court and I was quick and close at one stage and I asked the team then so obviously I'd be staring. And that was it though that was there were all the camps and like a lot of the stuff off air was unbelievable. Like the crack we had the trains off air like this stuff messing around the hostels and the hotels and just kind of chatting away to books and just chatting and shouting and messing and stuff and like the production teams and Rob and bridge and like the anyone who has joined or anyone is doing it like the it's it's an unbelievable experience and if I could do it again I would a hundred percent you know as I said from the start the only regret I had was saying I'm from reach to one on camera as opposed to sitting playing in each and both look I wanted to make that reach in team so I was doing it and I could like I don't want to do it again the more with the same that. I don't think I'd ever do it again with like be applying go for another team but I'd go through the whole thing again with the same ads and we still have our group chats to go and like we went to the following year the underdogs they played my own and a group was met up and went down to it as a reunion and I think they're hopefully they were not a reunion coming soon. Now that all the restrictions are lifted we might get up and get a good meetup over you know I'm living the off season everyone's finished playing football and we still chat away like and then I met a couple of lads off the back of it I know I'd finished an offer a chat and promote his my games and I met the cat Steve was galloping the the Kilkenny book if everyone remembers him the footballer from Kilkenny I met him and go all the way on the as well and the lad is Connor McKenna his slag was on and go all the way I met him like we're still chatting away to each other like we still have that group of lads that we we always chat away to each other and stuff and obviously yeah I'm not talking about the game the less said about the game the better we've got to absolutely fucking hammered by Dublin and if that wasn't a given and I think like something like like a 11 or 12 of the Dublin team that played us or actually eligible to be underdogs and which kind of like it's not not that it defeats the purpose but like I'd say if we played the all Ireland winning team we probably already had a better chance because the lads that were playing wanted to show how good they were they wanted to make a name for them said for the Dublin team like Jim Gavin wasn't even the sideline as your man as a Paul Clark and they didn't even release a team for us because we want to get a pro they wanted the team for a program and TGK had to get a team release so they didn't do pro so we didn't get a program for the game which I thought was at the corner just putting the all Ireland final team and then make changes or whatever or just say to be to be fucking confirmed or didn't add like as they do and another stuff but like we didn't get a program off the back because they wouldn't release a team which I thought was a bit shitty or I don't know why they just didn't put in a blank team or just just have us and just have Dublin a blank Dublin team and say to be confirmed or something like that but anyway like there was a few big names playing like Johnny Cooper's playing or March and was playing or Michael the Simon was playing and so they all would have been on the championship team and I think there was a couple of lads who played the league off it and I'm not sure if you get names mixed up and I'm not sure if Buggler was playing and I'm not sure if he was playing that day or not but there was that that Stephen Smith who was fucking lighting up in the Dublin championship that year I think he scored a 1-7 against Nifini or something mental or it was a 1-7 against Russ I don't know how to what but I think he roasted Johnny Cooper in a championship game and he was on fire that time and I think he played with the FBD league or the Oberyn Cooper ever called an insta and I were playing as a lesson there they're just a different fucking animal like as close as you think you're at county players until you actually play against them you realize how far away you're and we trained as hired as I've ever trained in my life and just realizing it's just the power the speed and not just the speed of them it's the speed of everything to do speed their passing their tackling their support play everything to do is just sharps sharps sharps sharps like there's no waiting around at all like it's a it's drilled into them and this is at every level no matter what county there's no Dublin party that might be the exception but like it's probably a fifth string don't you are playing and they were just the difference the level of athlete was something else and that's not putting any votes down that's we had trained you know a couple of months like this and again we're training our club and that beautiful offseason and yet a full you know maybe year training I guess not gonna happen overnight and it's just they've been regimented and then that they probably come to honorate set us and doing this training for years and that's the biggest difference between club players and county players now is just to speed them the power of them that pays as post 2004 when it was probably just a little bit of fitness like this the skills work is probably there and like look at the probably is more skill prepared club teams now than the recent county teams but the way that the game has gone better athletes would play there and like if you can just do the simple things well you can run up the work now open down the pitch all day and get the ball to the more skills with players in this score you're going to be probably picked that you're there be picked over someone who might be really skillful and give it an absolute pain or the 70 year pass but can move us out the full backline you know it's just the way the game is it was back in 2004 it was probably just a little bit of fitness and the skills was quite similar for us now is your look and a two compete it's a compare and amateur professional athletes to be honest like and that's just the way it is and like people say oh no no no no like look at yeah not to say I've been there and done that but I played against because obviously I'm an un-countrying I played against them and you play against them club level and stuff they're just a different level and that's just the way it is and look at the game was it was over before it's already honest like I think it was about 15 minutes in it was done and I think all our I think we got one one three or one four and one score came from play I think there are some of our freez and Richie of course Richie guys penalty great great for can finish he won't deserve to take it great finish by Richie is this basically much she was a star at the show like on the TV fair play from the great finish and a nightly rabbit scored a coat of freeze and and Kormak do and scored a score to point and play that was his chat up line and copper as he was the only one to score from play a game stolen the rest of them are from dead balls what and that was it like we said I'm don't know the right cow then we had out to copper's after us and look at it's out it was a fantastic experience unbelievable track and I'm probably missing remember on some of the stuff there and put that that was my experience of it and I just want to talk about before after the game I was weird like I had no overwhelming sense of it's done like it's just not that a way to lift it off me was like oh what's next like I had no exit plan if you will like once the game was over as a car that's it and kind of underwhelming sense like that's it done all right what do I do next like there's no club team to go back to like this team of the underdogs is done now we're not going to meet up again to train next week or train in January because the season's finished like it was that sit now that's that's that done kind of quite weirdly enough it was quite lonely after the game because I've once clubs and families were there and they're all interacting on my family was there as well and there was one lad came from character but I was kind of when the seed was planted that like fucking I'm after saying I'm from nature
and I could have had my home club here and I could have really pushed and promoted St. Ronins but I didn't have the same information I'm saying from Carrick and all this kind of stuff is going through my head which is weird at the time just once the thing was finished it was kind of that overwhelming sense of what's next and I have no plan and there was no exit strategy so like again that could be said to any goal like if you have fat last goal if you have weight last goal once you hit that target what's next like if it's the case you're just doing a forward shoot like what's after that once you do the forward shoot you have an exit strategy you're going to reverse diet once you hit the weight last goal once you fit into a dress size or a suit for a wedding like what's after that then like what you're going to do you're just going to go back to doing nothing or you have an exit strategy I didn't have that I was like a few signs there that I needed something when I was sitting in the car after I've been in the bum tree that overwhelmed the sense of what I'm going to do now and then at a holiday work and I was great but once came back from that I was like just kind of get back into training and like I had no goals I'd know like set 10 afterwards I think I don't know why I presume I kind of presumed I would have been brought into the county set up but I've been an egotistical bastard but like I thought I might have gotten a lease to trial again or for a training or just to kind of even like look we looked at you we've seen it fair play but we're not bringing you in like there was nothing and I remember chatting to one that actually took time with Ron Carrick, Michal McQueenie at the time at Christmas time and I asked him about the trial and he's like yeah I was like shit music sorry he's like look at the there was lads there that they're brought in not just you he's like there's lads there I thought should be brought in and not just trying to make me feel better like there's lads are brought in to trains that I didn't need to be there and there's lads that weren't brought in not just you that I thought could have been brought in so there's a look at whatever county set ups are different I thought I wouldn't have gotten a call didn't get a call and then I said the seat is planned for me to move back home once the game finished that was then kind of I felt like it was time to go go home again and then look I haven't looked back since I got a lot of my time playing in Carrick I got played at a senior level I got playing two semifinals and play well and bored and I said the only regret I have for my time playing in Carrick or it was saying I'm from the Trump national television as the only regret I had and look I'm delighted back home now for that city they got now or that Jesus I'm surprised I got that long with that was the search journey to the end and look at I'm probably miss remember and stuff and other people might have different experiences of the whole thing that's just my personal experience of it but I obviously can't mention absolutely everyone there was a big panel ads there and it's a great group of ads and go crack great characters as well and if anyone's opportunity comes up to do it at home sent recommended I know the hurdles are out this year I'm not sure who they're playing our runs like that but we always kind of tune in and look if you get the opportunity to do it go for it's great you never know I'll come off the back like I know Finston got into the goal a panel for a bit and now you can get into the slug up panel for a bit and Nigerabit got into the long for a panel for a bit like that was their half-forward line the I got put the I got called into a panel I think Nigel was playing it was on a championship panel I'm not sure if we got on or not but a Nile and Finston will play it league for slug going all the way so looking you won't know I can off the back of it so last gigantity thing that didn't get to push on unfortunately but off the back of that off the pain is to got that looking and maybe that's also my needs is needs that exposure needs to be planted higher level edge kind of show look at I'm able to do this I think I leave it there and surprise I got a full hour out of this topic and so I showed up in the page people said they wanted to hear about it and I just give my thoughts and my underdog experience I do it again in a happy only with the same lines so I won't do it again with another team and I love the I love this I still remember finally like in silver all the year I know some lines that frame their jerseys and I gave it a bit away like that I wear as a look I'm I earned it I'm gonna wear like every rips or whatever whatever I'll stitch it up put in the frame then I still wear my gear just to kind of look I kind of always remember so don't forget about it and obviously we see a group chat going but look at I think I leave it there if anyone stay down this long for a playtree and look at best look and if anyone's interested in any any personalized gym plans I have a runoff program and I have a two day for the body split on in my website I link that below code run20 gets a 20% off the runoff program code power 20 gets a tray reset off the power gym plans so there's one nutrition guides one around nutrition guides and then them codes will expire on the end of September so there's only a couple weeks left on that if you want to get the train percent off and if you anyone's more tailored tailored gym plans off season plans were caught in you know drop me DM or send me email at Gary or not at
[email protected] and thanks very much for listening anymore tops at your month the gym for me to talk about internet or I'll drop another question box you have so often as well thanks for your time for listening hope you enjoyed it
PodcastTranscript AI