YOUNGSTERS will mimic David Clifford’s movement and slick skills in backgarden games but the workrate and fitness levels displayed by his older brother Paudie are also a great example for any ambitious young player.
The Kerry forward had a relatively limited impact in the first half of the All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin and in Sunday’s decider but his stamina and drive allowed him to impose himself on both games in the second half and he finished with two vital points in each.
“Whoever I'm marking, I just kind of think: ‘Keep wearing them down’,” Clifford explained after Sunday’s four-point win over Galway.
“In the first half, it was tight. They got bodies back and they got them back them fast and there just wasn't much space.
"I just had to keep at it and often the games open up more in the second half, when bodies are getting a bit tired and teams are bringing on subs who mightn't be quite as tuned into the game plan as the starters.”
Despite trailing at half-time resilient Kerry never panicked. The Spillanes, Adrian and Killian, had an impact off the bench and Clifford kicked into gear, turning the tables on marker Jack Glynn. However, he felt the game was on a knife-edge almost to the final whistle.
“I never had that feeling we had it won until we went four points up at the very end,” he said.
“You’re always worried and the fourth point was the insurance score.”
Sunday’s All-Ireland final didn’t come to the boil as dramatically as the semi-final win over Dublin. Kerry took all Galway could throw at them but pulled away down the stretch and Clifford said the Kingdom players had been determined to clinch their first All-Ireland in eight years after getting the Dublin monkey off their backs.
“I suppose there would have been nothing worse than losing the final,” said Clifford.
“Dublin was a big game for us, emotionally it was a big game but we knew we had to get back at it and we knew Galway were going to pose a different challenge which they did. We went back at it, we analysed Galway for what they are.”
Unlike his younger brother David – rated by some pundits as the best player to ever play Gaelic Football – Paudie hasn’t always been a certain starter for his county. He agreed that the Celtic Cross he won on Sunday was a reward for his patience and hard work.
"That's probably a good way to describe it,” he said.
"It's been a lot of hard work, a lot of years of not being picked and yeah, a lot of failures along the way. But it feels good now!
“David was a big help in fairness and I always enjoyed playing with my club (Fossa), so that was what kept me going. When I played with my club, I loved it and we had great craic and we had craic after games and craic at training.
"So there was never anything to say anything like, 'Oh, you're not going to play football any more'. All I had to do was play well, keep doing my thing and just hope that maybe I would get called up.”
The championship system in Kerry means there is always an outlet to senior level for players from smaller clubs and Clifford’s ascension to the East Kerry amalgamation meant he was able to impress county selectors.
“The championships with East Kerry were the key because they put me on the map,” he said.
“They showed, because you were marking some of the backs in county championship games that were playing for us today, and I was doing relatively well.
"So you're getting more belief yourself and obviously the management can see that too, so yeah, they were the main things that counted.”
