Football

Moran puts cruciate nightmare behind him

Kerry’s David Moran has recovered from two cruciate injuries to become one of the country’s best midfielders
Kerry’s David Moran has recovered from two cruciate injuries to become one of the country’s best midfielders Kerry’s David Moran has recovered from two cruciate injuries to become one of the country’s best midfielders

ALTHOUGH he agrees that Kerry’s 2012 victory over Tyrone in Killarney was a great experience for the team at the time, David Moran admitted that he was at a low ebb personally in terms of his footballing career.

“I was wondering to myself watching it would I ever experience a day like that as I was going through my second cruciate injury at the time. It was tough for my family particularly my father (Ogie, an eight-time All-Ireland winner). I think he had phantom pains himself when I got hurt,” said the midfielder.

“I remember the interview Paul [Galvin] gave after the match and how emotional he was and you saw there what it meant to everyone involved.”

With a third consecutive season without an injury currently in progress, many feel the 2008

All-Ireland winner at U21 level is blossoming into the talent many predicted at the time prior to his injuries. The return of his Kerins O’Rahillys clubmate Tommy Walsh has been a welcome return on a personal level for Moran.

“It’s great to have Tommy back, although being based in Cork and travelling together at the minute we probably are getting sick of the sight of each other now,” he said in jest.

Along with Walsh, Moran was heavily rumoured to be switching to the AFL at the end of the last decade although it didn’t quite transpire for him like it did for his friend on that front.

“I won’t deny I was tempted when I went over with Tommy for the Aussie Rules trial back in 2009. He was a year ahead of me in terms of his development so it was practically a done deal when he went over for what was actually his second trip and my first,” he said of his trip to Australia.

“I came back from it and nothing ever really came of it for myself afterwards.”

Many credit his performance in the Munster SFC final replay with being a big factor in the Kingdom’s success, but the Tralee native said he didn’t feel any extra sense of pressure to perform well the second day having picked up a black card in the first encounter.

“I was only trying to win a game like I would any other time for Kerry and thankfully it just worked out well for me on the day in terms of how I did,” he said.

“The extra game definitely has been of benefit now because I think you could see the first day that we were a side in need of an extra game.”

The concept of today’s game being a panel one is something that he is beginning to understand a bit more now.

“People were saying it was a panel game, but when you saw the same 15 players starting for a lot of teams you were wondering was that really the case.

“I think with the way Eamonn [Fitzmaurice] has gone about things it very much is about the panel now and he is true to form when he says that the team will be picked on training when you see his selections for matches,” he said.

Bar a five-minute cameo at the end of the 2008 All-Ireland final, Tyrone are not an opposition Moran has a lot of experience of at Championship level and he believes that the Red Hands county have a good defensive structure to their make-up.

“I thought their kick-outs against Monaghan were very good. As soon as Monaghan scored they seemed to go straight back down the pitch and get a score,” he said.

“It wasn’t all coming from short kick-outs either, they were kicking it long to their midfielders as well.

“They do an awful lot of running from midfield and we’re under no illusions about how big a battle it will be around there on the day, it certainly will be all hands on deck.”

He also sees it as being a big test of the players’ skills, something for which the Kingdom are always renowned.

“Certainly we are going to have to get the basics right if we do find ourselves coming up against a wall of 13 men,” he added.

“Our foot passing will be crucial on the day and if the forwards aren’t able to get shots in, then it will be up to everyone else to take a shot and this is where our long range kicking will have to be up to scratch on the day.”

If Kerry have to come out of his comfort zone and play a game many consider to be alien to their philosophy in trying to get to back to an All-Ireland final, Moran won’t be bothered too much.

“Even if we only win by 0-3 to 0-2, we’ll take it because it’s all about trying to get back into an All-Ireland final at the end of the day, regardless of how good or bad you play.”