BACK IN 2009 a 21-year-old David Moran travelled to Australia for a trial period with AFL club St Kilda alongside his club mate Tommy Walsh.
Moran returned but Walsh stayed on, making his AFL debut by 2012. But at this stage Moran had been sidelined for the past year with the first of two serious cruciate ligament injuries.
The combination of which limiting his progress in becoming a Kerry regular to this summer.
So with Tommy Walsh announcing that he will be returning home to Ireland for the 2015 season, Kerry supporters will, six years on get to see the vastly talented duo properly team up at senior level.
But Moran has sent out a warning to his old team mate; “There’s a team there at the moment, an All-Ireland winning team, and he has to try and get through all of that.”
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Tommy Walsh and 'Gooch' collecting their Allstars in 2008, will both be back next year - so who will lose out? Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Moran says that his Kerins O’Rahilly’s club mate, the 2008 Young Footballer of the Year definitely has something to offer the Kerry set-up.
The pair may now get to fully follow through on the potential shown during the 2006 Minor championship, and talking at the Gaelic Writer’s association awards last night Moran said:
“I’ve been in regular contact with Tommy during his time in Australia. I knew his thoughts, he has mixed emotions himself but it’s great news for the club and the county. I probably knew he was going to come back but I didn’t know for sure until it was confirmed.
“We’ve been close enough friends all of our lives and I know a lot of people would be trying to talk to him so I didn’t want to be plaguing him.
“Tommy was playing AFL before he got injured and that’s the reality. He’s coming back and he’s going to enjoy it and make a contribution. There’s no pressure on him. We won’t have any high expectations of him.”
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Walsh won’t be the only Allstar attacker returning to the Kerry forward line next year, throw in eight time Allstar Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper and needless to say Eamonn Fitzmaurice will have more than a few selection headaches ahead of him.
“There were a few fellas carrying knocks this year like Darran O’Sullivan and when he comes back he’ll be like a new player. There will be lads next year who pick up injuries that didn’t this year and that’s the time when those who have had knocks this year have to step up.”
Meanwhile Moran has some shorter term targets to focus on, a possible selection on Paul Early’s international rules panel – and so far so good.
“Paul (Earley) rang me to see if I’d be interested. I’m on the training panel at the moment and I’m delighted to be there but I’m not in the squad yet. I have been to a good few of the games. I was in Cavan last year and went to Limerick before to support the Kerry boys when they’ve played. I was hoping to get the call and I’m making a push to be included.”
It’s a major contrast to this time last year as Moran struggled with injury after injury over a two year period in which he suffered a double cruciate ligament setback.
“At the end of the day, it came down to whether I was going to come back or not and I decided that I was it was full steam ahead. I was young too, 25. I’m hoping to see more All-Irelands in the future. I’m looking forward to getting back to it on January 1 again.”
David Moran on the return of close friend Tommy Walsh and next year's Kerry forward line
BACK IN 2009 a 21-year-old David Moran travelled to Australia for a trial period with AFL club St Kilda alongside his club mate Tommy Walsh.
Moran returned but Walsh stayed on, making his AFL debut by 2012. But at this stage Moran had been sidelined for the past year with the first of two serious cruciate ligament injuries.
The combination of which limiting his progress in becoming a Kerry regular to this summer.
So with Tommy Walsh announcing that he will be returning home to Ireland for the 2015 season, Kerry supporters will, six years on get to see the vastly talented duo properly team up at senior level.
Moran says that his Kerins O’Rahilly’s club mate, the 2008 Young Footballer of the Year definitely has something to offer the Kerry set-up.
The pair may now get to fully follow through on the potential shown during the 2006 Minor championship, and talking at the Gaelic Writer’s association awards last night Moran said:
“We’ve been close enough friends all of our lives and I know a lot of people would be trying to talk to him so I didn’t want to be plaguing him.
“Tommy was playing AFL before he got injured and that’s the reality. He’s coming back and he’s going to enjoy it and make a contribution. There’s no pressure on him. We won’t have any high expectations of him.”
Walsh won’t be the only Allstar attacker returning to the Kerry forward line next year, throw in eight time Allstar Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper and needless to say Eamonn Fitzmaurice will have more than a few selection headaches ahead of him.
“There were a few fellas carrying knocks this year like Darran O’Sullivan and when he comes back he’ll be like a new player. There will be lads next year who pick up injuries that didn’t this year and that’s the time when those who have had knocks this year have to step up.”
Meanwhile Moran has some shorter term targets to focus on, a possible selection on Paul Early’s international rules panel – and so far so good.
“Paul (Earley) rang me to see if I’d be interested. I’m on the training panel at the moment and I’m delighted to be there but I’m not in the squad yet. I have been to a good few of the games. I was in Cavan last year and went to Limerick before to support the Kerry boys when they’ve played. I was hoping to get the call and I’m making a push to be included.”
It’s a major contrast to this time last year as Moran struggled with injury after injury over a two year period in which he suffered a double cruciate ligament setback.
“At the end of the day, it came down to whether I was going to come back or not and I decided that I was it was full steam ahead. I was young too, 25. I’m hoping to see more All-Irelands in the future. I’m looking forward to getting back to it on January 1 again.”
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All-Ireland Senior HC fight for your place GAA Donegal Kerry