The Clare senior hurling management team tried to accommodate the dual player in 2014 but it did not work for either part, player or management, according to Davy Fitzgerald.
“This was not the reason why we did not win a Munster or All-Ireland championship; we are well aware of that. However, it was one of many factors”, the manager said on Wednesday evening, when revealing some details of the management structure for the coming season.
“Podge Collins informed us a while back that in 2015 he will be playing football only. We have no issue with that except, of course, that we’d love to have him with us. For the coming year we want players on our panel fully committed to Clare hurling. Our goal is to get Clare hurling back to Croke Park in September,” Fitzgerald said.
The Clare manager went on to say that the management team had spoken to Podge and explained their position.
“We felt Clare hurling suffered last year, as he attempted to combine both codes. We did not have Podge with us as often as we would have liked and we felt his recovery between games was not what it could have been. With the demands made of inter county players nowadays, it is a huge sacrifice and commitment to play one code, let alone two, and it must be remembered that we tried in every way to accommodate Podge and Sean in 2014”.
“It was clear to us that the dual situation affected performances, hindered training and recovery.
“We were of the unanimous view that for the coming year we need a panel focussed only on Clare hurling. There is no issue with Podge or Sean Collins. Both have won All-Irelands with us, we have all soldiered together, winning and losing matches. They are a credit to their club and a credit to Clare. We’ll always have great time for both young men. That will never change. We wish them well with the Clare footballers in division 3 and we hope the progress under Colm Collins continues,” Davy concluded.
Asked to comment, Podge Collins said, “I would love to play hurling and football with Clare but the hurling management have made a decision. Right now my focus is on the upcoming county hurling and football semi-finals with my club.”
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.