David Moran talking after Kerry beat Tyrone in Killarney Last March – revealing now six months on - Read about his dark days and how he was out for 13 months - with serious -Read it Ted Brown David Moran talks about fade-out? As a team we knew we werent that far away. I dont think it was a case of last year where there was massive changes to be made at the start of the year. This year we did a pile of good things and we just werent getting enough joy out of it. We knew if we kept doing what we were doing it would turn eventually and luckily today it did. We had highlighted it and I suppose when you highlight it youre measured on it. I dont think it was just Barry Johns shot against Mayo. I think there were at least four or five point chances at the end of the Mayo game in the last 20 minutes that could have gone over. They werent speculative efforts, they were good efforts and just went wide. Not only does it give you a downer, it gives the other side a lift and they were coming up and kicking. Maybe the same was at the end of the Dublin game when we didnt keep the scoreboard ticking over in the second half. An awful lot of young guys were playing. If you had the likes of Declan OSullivan, even Marc at the start of the year, theyre battle-hardened guys which makes a massive difference. Maybe it was just the fourth game and guys were growing into their role in the team. We developed leaders. I thought Paul Murphy was unbelievable for a guy in his first season. Those characters need to be built and the only way you can do that is by playing tough, hard games. Long, lonely journeys coming down from Castlebar made it hurt and thanks be to God we got it right today. You always have to keep trying to improve. Today or any day that we go out certainly wasnt good enough. What we did today wont be good enough to win an All-Ireland. Its great to get the two points but were using it as a building block. We need two more and then two more. If we do that weve a right chance of making a semi-final but were by no means out of the water. Cruciate I definitely appreciate it more. When youre growing up youre thinking your career is taken away from you when youre in your 30s. I suppose Gooch at the moment its the same for him. It just shows that at any moment it can be taken away. Im there now enjoying and appreciating it and knowing it was much better than two years ago when I was just doing rehab sessions and laid up. Its great to be out there. Winning then makes it even more special. When youre doing a rehab its a lonely spot. You go from meeting your friends three or four days a week at training having the craic to just complete isolation. Thats a negative and you have to go away and do the hard work. Its great to come through. Im sure Colm ONeill is enjoying it even more than me because hes coming back after a third one. It definitely makes you a bit tougher but appreciate the good days a bit more. Q: Your cruciates happened within thirteen months? “Yes. I didnt play in between injuries. I came back and torn the retina in my eye. I suppose it was one thing after another but hopefully its out of the way. I got a bang in the eye in a challenge game and lost my vision for awhile. I was rushed up to CUH and got surgery. Thanks be to God it worked and its back to normal now. How long were you out for? “I missed the whole of the Munster Championship last year and returned for Cavan game” How long were you without your sight? “I suppose – well complete blindness just that day and night. But it kind of came back gradually over a period that followed. It was almost a blessing in disguise because it made me almost forget about my knee (laughs) Did you talk to the Gooch and how has the Kerry squad reacted ? I texted him and said I was gutted for him but that I wanted to give him space because at the start theres a lot of people wishing him well. I said I would be there for any support he needs. His is a bit different to mine because of the (knee) fracture that I didnt have. Its a tough injury, theres no doubt about it. Thats all you can do. Its Gooch - youre not going to replace him. We just have to try and come together and as a team get better. We still believe were good enough to win an All-Ireland. We have to, otherwise were wasting our time. Obviously, hes a huge loss but I dont think were better off trying to go out and make the next Gooch; everyone has to put it an extra 5% and hopefully thatll be enough. It hasnt been overdone. Its like anything - you just have to get on with it. If we keep bringing it up it might become an excuse, which we dont want. Were all trying to hard (for that to happen). Hell still have a massive role to play off the field. Someone like that, you hang off every word he says. We havent underplayed it, we havent overplayed it. We were obviously disappointed. Its almost like a grieving process but at the end of the day we have to draw a line in the sand and cant write off the year because Colm is injured. We tried to make it the last couple of games. It is if we go on. If we lose again next weekend then its not. Its got to keep going up. We need to get to four points and thats all were thinking about. Do you worry now about injury recurring when you play? If youre trying to play inter-county football you cant be thinking about your knee because theres so much happening. Its hard enough to just get on the ball as opposed to just thinking about whether you get injured. I think initially when you come back you might be but its so fast that you dont even think. One thing leads to another and if it happens it happens. Its no different to breaking your finger and coming back. I dont think you can afford to be worried about your knees. Obviously, its a disaster but if you look at Tommy Walsh he pulled his hamstring and still isnt back. He didnt do his cruciate and its almost as worse. Theres your Achilles (heel), your cruciate - you want to avoid them all but I dont think you can go into a game thinking Jees, if I do it today. I think you just have to grow into the team game, do your bit and hopefully its good enough to win the game. On JOD Hes special, there are no two ways about it. I mean, maybe he put some pressure on himself without Colm and Declan OSullivan there. He stepped up to the plate and I wouldnt like to be marking him. Hes a really good player but its early days and we need James like that every day. We need him to show the form he did last year and even go up another level if he can. We need everybody, not just James. Hes a class act, he showed that today and hopefully he can again next week.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 09:24:18 +0000
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