New Kerry Management

[Kerry Mike]

New Kerry football manager Pat O'Shea has unveiled his backroom team for the coming season.

Fresh from his Munster club success with Dr Crokes, O'Shea has named Sean Geaney and Dr David Geaney as his selectors. The team will be trained by John Sugrue, who plays midfield for county champions South Kerry.

Dingle man Sean Geaney is a former Kerry player and managed the county minor side before handing over the reins to John Kennedy. Dr Dave Geaney has been involved with Kerry teams as a medical officer for many years and is attached to Castleisland Desmonds.

At 29, Surgue will be one of the youngest ever trainers of a Kerry team. He is a physiotherapist by profession and after a spell in Portlaoise, is now based in Killarney. O'Shea met the players for the first time last week and was given assurances by everyone, including veteran midfielder Darragh O Se, that there would be no one else following defenders Seamus Moynihan and Mike McCarthy into retirement.

[Jack Dempsey]

What do the Kerry Folk reckon...a good thing

[Over the Bar]

He is a physiotherapist by profession and after a spell in Portlaoise, is now based in Killarney.

Was he released under the good friday agreement?

[highking]

It would be a dream for the Mayo county board (to cut costs) if the trainer doubled up as the physio and the selector doubled up as the doctor. Is this a coincidence or does O'Shae not like too many people hanging around the dressingroom?

[never kickt a ball]

It would be a dream for the Mayo county board (to cut costs) if the trainer doubled up as the physio and the selector doubled up as the doctor. Is this a coincidence or does O'Shae not like too many people hanging around the dressingroom?

Yea high king and maybe one of them could treble up as team runner??

[highking]

He might take that job on himself maybe...

[AZOffaly]

The team will be trained by John Sugrue, who plays midfield for county champions South Kerry.

Wow, jaysus, I didn't see that coming. Fair play to John, he's a fierce nice fella, and it's good to see him getting this boost. He moved back from portlaoise to open his own practise in Killarney, but suffered an injury soon thereafter which would have stopped him working for a while at least. He also missed out on the County Championship win this year as well.

It's gas that he is a trainer for Kerry, there are quite a few who would have seen him as the prototype natural Kerry midfielder. If he came from a more fashionable club than Renard, or had been 5 years younger when South Kerry started to hit the heights, he would have been a Kerry midfielder I think.

He's hugely dedicated as well, often making that journey every weekend from Portlaoise to Renard, which is approximately 4 hours.

This might be a good move politically as well, as the South Kerry lads would have great time for John, so they will feel they have a lad in their corner too.

[Kerry Mike]

AZ it is a bit of a shock decision putting Sugrue into the trainer role, for someone with little training experience it will prove a big role with loads of pressure, but I am sure Pat O'Shea is shrewd enough to go for the right man. John was training the South Kerry lads this year and last but its a huge step up to county level, I hope it works out for him.

John is a sound lad and is football mad and would not be far away from county midfield material but for age and injuries but it will be a tough job following the requime set out by Pat Flanagan who was the real unsung hero in our AI wins in 04 and 06, where rugby tackle bags, parachutes running, and full scale games played on 1/4 sized pitches were some fo the new tacticts employed and helped us become stronger and faster over the last few years.

It will be interesting to hear what new training methods John kicks off with and if he can develop the respect of the older players on the panel, like Darragh O'Se who he has had a few on-field tussles with.

I doubt if its a political decision, there will be enough pressure on Sugrue from all the Tralee and Killarney townies and West Kerry folk to ensure that he will have to get the lads off to a flying start in the league.

Dr Dave Geaney has years of experience in backrooom Kerry teams going back to Micko's time and will bring a vast experience and knowledge of Kerry football to the table. While Sean Geaney (No Relation) will bring a good knowledge of underage players as he was the Kerry minor manager a few years ago.

Anyway it will be an interesting year ahead in the Kingdom. The 2-in-a-row has been a huge challenge for the last 17 years for all winning AI teams and next year will be no different, and if the Kingdom do pull it off it will be down to O'Shea and Sugrue and the determination of the panel. Roll on '07

[blanketattack]

Great geographical mix - someone from the Dingle Peninsula, someone from the Iveragh Peninsula, someone from North Kerry and someone from East Kerry.

[magickingdom]

pats first job is to have a chat with mick mccarthy and try to change his mind. delighted sean geaney (just lost his father in law, a great football man - john (walla) oconnor two weeks ago) will be involved, did a good job with the minors....

[ildanach]

with the new rules on the number of officals on the side line - kerry will be the only ones to have all officals in....judging by the indo today Joe Kernan will be going back to study medicine or physiotherapy

[Kerry Mike]

Maybe Joe Kernan will do a John Tool on it and be the Armagh bottle carrier next year 

Paul Galvin may need to bulk up with the weights to throw Joe out of the field.

[SuperDooperCooper]

Would like to wish the new management team all the best for the new year.
Slightly disappointed the rumours Pat Flanagan were to be involved again were wide of the mark. This is not a criticism of John Sugrue more of a admission that Kerry have lost one of the best (if not the best) physical trainers in Ireland. Never has a Waterford man done so much for Kerry football (save the Nire fullback who didn't wear gloves on the wettest day in history....3 of his colleagues didn't either).
Hopefully Mike Mac will come back, he is young enough.
No real quibble with any of the selections. Dr Dave was the team doctor as well as a former selector. Was in charge of Desmond's when they won the club title in '85.
Sean Geaney was unlucky not to have won an All-Ireland with the Kerry minors in either '04 or '05 and has extensive knowledge of the underage talent in the county.

[lynchbhoy]

best of luck to Pat OShea and the new Kerry management

OShea is a nice chap and lives and breathes sport

[turk]

Good piece with pat O'Shea in the Sunday Tribune on Sunday.