Kerry's former young footballer of the year (2008) Tommy Walsh made his Aussie Rules Football debut in St Kilda colours last Friday night (18 February) in the NAB Cup pre season tournament in Melbourne. The Greatest Sports Show on Earth sent it's intrepid and sporadic sports reporters Eoin Casey and Kieran O'Donovan on a tram out to St Kilda to catch up with and gauge the progress of the GAA's most high profile recent export.
Australian Rules football is the dominant religion in multicultural Melbourne. It hogs the airwaves, the back pages, the middle pages, and sure enough even the front pages occasionally with the latest player/agent controversy. Compare rugby in Christchurch, street hoops in Harlem, or say, Gaelic football in Kerry.
Tommy Walsh set out a few months over a year ago from Tralee, all-Ireland medal safely packed away in the rucksack to have a crack at a new code and on invitation to make a profession of his game. Thing is, it's not his game, its really quite different. For his freshman season, he slunk off determinedly to earn the stripes in the modest environs of the Victorian Football League (VFL) with St Kilda's feeder outfit, Sandringham. Think club as opposed to intercounty championship. He worked hard, alternated between defender and forward as directed, and managed to end the season a respectable 7th in the "Best and Fairest" for the lower level club.
Last Friday night, St Kilda's rested superstar Nick Riewoldt introduced his new Irish colleague to the watching television public and spoke of Tommy’s heritage and of the club's excitement at their powerful Irish prospect. They obviously got the tip off as to the footballing blueblood coursing through his veins. Dad Sean's haul of seven all-Irelands firmly inscribed the family name into the annals of Kerry greats and now kid brother Barry John seems to have set his sights on stepping seamlessly into Tommy's kingdom boots to add weight to the next generation's charge. The question is can he make it in the oval ball code or will Walsh be back before long to offer a sibling double-whammy to the kingdom's full forward line? Time will tell but he's starting to make his mark at St Kilda.
How did he feel about a solid debut in the full backline in the Saints singlet at Etihad Stadium for the the NAB Cup first up round robin clash with Essendon and Brisbane?
"Yea just good to get out and to finally put on the jersey with the senior lads I hadn't played with. It's a nice stadium and I'd never played under a roof... You were watching it all last year so it was good to get out there... Yerra I did grand, I'd no mess ups"
And Nick Riewoldt's introduction?
"I mark Nick a bit in training. I don’t know why they put me on him but...it’s good to get that experience... you're marking one of the best in the competition every week so..."
Great experience, surely no better backline apprenticeship than to shadow marquee forward Riewoldt. So has he won a few over him in training?
"(laughs) Well, if its in the air you're not really allowed contest with him in case you'd hurt him...they tend to blow it up if there's any chance of a bad clash... if you were walking backwards or whatever after the ball..."
Is he happy with his progress to date, things going to plan?
"I didn't really know what my progress was going to be. I'd love to be playing every week but I have to realise that I'm in probably the second best if not the best team in the competition with a very strong squad. When someone gets injured there's always a senior guy ready to go in so, you know, look, I feel fine and I feel that I've got to the level where I can play in the AFL but it's just a case of waiting for the opportunity and being ready for it when it comes."
He's in the list for Saturday night's game with Geelong in the next round of the NAB cup and hoping to make another appearance, at least as substitute and to "build on last week and try to put in a good performance and show the coaches that I'm ready to play. I suppose I got a bit of a hunger for it last week so, it'll be good to get back out there".
But is it frustrating playing in the back pocket (full back line) given that he was one of the GAA's star forwards?
"Well it’s a bit different to Gaelic football really and I've been playing at the back mostly and I’m comfortable there...Obviously I'd like to be up kicking a few goals but, you know, hopefully as my game builds maybe I'll get a chance to go up there".
Ross Lyon, St Kilda coach, was hinting at trying him in various positions before the two game matchup but in the end he played out almost the entirety of both at back pocket.
"Yea well, I don’t know, maybe he felt I was doing grand so he just left me there...At Sandringham I was (alternated) between the backs and the forward line the whole time. I suppose the more positions you can play the more useful you are to the team."
So what is his best position?
"Well at the moment its back, that’s where I've played most of my football...Tadhg (Kennelly) plays back as well but, who knows, maybe as my game develops maybe I can go forward or maybe some other positions."
Does he tend to be in touch with Tadhg often?
"I do, I was talking to him today actually, (laughs) I dunno is he bored or what... He's got a knee injury at the moment so...he's been through everything that I'm going through so he's a good man to bounce stuff off and he gives me tips and, what to expect, and tricks to help and stuff..."
What was his take on spending his entire rookie season playing VFL football at Sandringham in front of small crowds at modest venues throughout the state, light years from the glamour of a packed MCG or Etihad stadium or Croker for that matter?
"Well as I said I didn't really have any expectations coming over here so...I knew pretty early on that it was going to be hard to get a game for St Kilda and I always had hopes of playing but, you just have to kindof spend your time there, and at the end of the day that's a stepping stone up to the AFL so you have to try and do as well as you can there. I enjoyed my time there as well. There was some bad (Victorian winter) conditions in games in places like Ballarat...my first few games were a different experience and as it went on I felt more comfortable."
How is he dealing with the professional aspect of aussie rules life?
"Well, like that’s probably the biggest thing I came out here for, just to be able to..." The GAA training would be considered similar, almost full time? "Yea, it’s just that, I suppose here you get the chance to recover and prepare for training much more than you do at home. After training here we can go for ice baths, we can do stretching and all that, whereas, you know, when you're down in Killarney and fellas have to drive to Limerick and Cork they just want to get back after training... and that's the main difference."
And the schedule?
"Some days you could be in there from 8am to 5 or 6 so...and you're basically on call 24/7...they could text you at 9pm and say they want you in at 5am so you just have to cop it on the chin and go in...now that happens rarely but, you just have to be ready when they call upon you but we do get a fair bit of free time as well which is good... There's training days and 'off-legs' days, training days would be 2 days out from a game and 2 days before that again...in the morning you get physio or whatever then we train at 2pm...The other days...you're 'off-legs' which would be a bike, box, whatever and then you do a bit of weights, so you're in there 6 days a week basically."
Is it more enjoyable training as a full time professional?
"It is yeah, it’s full on when you're in there, the meetings and the training...but you get extra time away from the club as well."
How does it compare to Kerry championship training and has it been tough, a bit of a surprise?
"With Kerry you get so many weeks to prepare for a game that you train hard for 3 weeks and then the week before the game you completely ease off whereas here there's a week between every game so we train pretty hard in between games so it was probably a bit of a surprise."
Does he enjoy the marketing side of it, travelling to schools weekly to train kids and push the game?
“We go out every week to primary schools and community centres to help out…it’s great…we’d be doing it anyway but it’s in our contracts as well and the kids love it…along with other things…the GAA could learn from it all on the marketing and other sides.”
So the professional aspect was a big draw?
"That's it, it’s the lifestyle and, you know, being in Australia as well, it’s not a bad country to be in, especially with the way home is, it’s so bad at the moment"
Is homesickness an issue at all?
“It depends on how you’re going as well, if you’re playing games and doing well I suppose it isn’t as big a factor but if you’re not doing well and you feel you’re getting left out you can kindof get homesick and start missing people a lot more. But I’m lucky ‘cos I get to go home twice a year, my family get to come out. My parents are out now in 3 weeks time…”
Down’s Ross Carr recently spoke about the benefits for young GAA players of travelling down under to switch codes, however temporary, in developing further as athletes and as footballers. Does Tommy agree and might he possibly add further weight to the theory?
“Well every guy that’s gone back has been a better footballer for it, so you know, I’d like to think that when I go back eventually it’ll have benefitted me… I think that over here, you realise that your body can get to a different level of fitness than we are at home, ‘cos the training out here is unbelievable… in terms of fitness and strength…and there’s the whole mental side of things. We talk a lot about mental toughness over here and you know, you could see that with Tadhg Kennelly when he went home, some of the stuff that he went through... But he was always able to come back stronger for it and I suppose that’s the mark of a professional.”
What’s his honest opinion of the game (AFL) generally, it can be messy at times and hard to watch?
“I think, at the highest level it’s a great game but, you know, I think Gaelic football is a better game personally… I think if Gaelic football was professional… I think that would go to a whole new level.”
Does he think there are many Gaelic football players who could reach the standards of the likes of Dane Swan (Collingwood) or his own teammates Brendon Goddard or Nick Riewoldt?
“Well, skill wise definitely there would be… I actually think Gaelic football is a more skilful game but these guys (AFL) get the training with it as well…I think there’s definitely fellas capable of reaching the same level but we just don’t have the same level of training at home, and, someone like Brendon Goddard does it every day whereas, someone like Gooch (Colm Cooper) doesn’t, so, if he was… How good would he be?”
Tommy doesn’t know what he would be doing if he were still at home, the days of the high profile county player being accommodated locally by employers may be fading?
“Yea, there’s no guarantees any more. On the other hand, there’s things here… Whether I decide to go to university or do a trade, they look after you. There’s money put into a retirement fund every year for you… They look after you when you finish whereas, with Gaelic football, you play for ten years and you mightn’t have anything for it, only a couple of friends…”
Speaking of which, he stays in contact with the other Irish imports in Oz?
“Yea I’m in touch with Setanta [O’Hailpin] last weekend actually… He’s opening a pub out here… Cork jersey up on the wall so (laughs) its hard to walk in there but… and Conor Meredith, who was out here and a few more… and Tadhg of course, we stay in touch a bit alright and learn from each other...we’re all on different schedules so it’s hard to meet up but…”
On return from a sojourn back home post season last year taking in the International Rules games, he moved in with St Kilda teammate Will Johnson, with whom he's rooming for the coming year. How did he rate the International Rules series this year and did he enjoy it personally?
“I really enjoyed it, just getting to know guys from different counties and just getting back kicking a round ball, and, to get to play in Croke Park again was something that I really missed last year… I suppose we were a bit disappointed in the end having played so poorly in the first game but it was a good series… I think people are always going to be giving out about it but, at the end of the day you can bring it to Croke Park and nearly fill it so that shows that the interest is there for it.”
He reluctantly grants the rebels their dues in finally summiting at headquarters.
“Look I think Cork were the best team in the country last year…they’ve been there for a few years and they deserved it… They can be underrated and I think they showed everyone last year what a good team they are...”
And Kerry’s shock exit to Down?
“Well, like Kerry were obviously missing Tomas (O’ Se) and Paul (Galvin)… they got off to a terrible start… I suppose with such a run, I think Kerry had never lost a quarter final, maybe there might have been a bit of complacency I don’t know but..."
Is the writing on the wall for this Kerry team?
“People say that they’re an ageing team with a lot of people gone but there’s still huge hunger there like… when you’ve guys like Colm Cooper, Kieran Donaghy and Declan O’Sullivan… there’s match winners in every line…”
Barry John, brother and the among the latest off the Kingdom assembly line is putting a case for selection for the championship. Are they in touch?
“I suppose he’s one of my best friends really so I talk to him all the time yea...he’s going ok in it, there’s tough training and so much competition for places as well you know…”
If he was to look back in 15/20 years at his time in Australia, what would he like to have achieved?
“Just that I’ve no regrets really, that I’ve come out here and given it the best shot that I could. That’s why I came out here, I didn’t want to be sitting at home in 10 years time saying I could’ve gone, I could’ve been an AFL player… I know now, whether it happens or not, I can say that I gave it my best shot and that it either worked out or it didn’t…there’s a long way to go yet though.”
And the heat in Australia. Is it a factor, even though Melbourne can be more akin to Mayo in Winter?
“I remember we played games last year with Sandringham in conditions I’ve never played in at home… waterlogged pitches… there’s never a bad day in ‘Home and Away’ I suppose when you’re watching it but…"
Finally, what prospect of him doing a 'Tadhg' on it and returning home to win another all-Ireland medal in the coming years?
“I think Tadhg is the luckiest bastard of all time (laughs)… that’s the fairly tale isn’t it, to go back and win…I still have things left to do with Kerry and with my club, Kerins O’Rahillys…they’re the people that got me to where I was before I left…I still have things I’d love to achieve in football yea.”
For those of us born fortunate enough to worship late summer in green and gold at the shrine of Croker, Tommy’s travels promise much.
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