AIB All-Ireland Semi-Final Preview
Cushendall vs St Thomas (Galway)
By Brendan McTaggart
They say lightning doesn’t strike in the same place twice. Technically it didn’t, but it wasn’t a kick in the arse off it. Cushendall and Antrim defender Arron Graffin could make a claim to be the unluckiest man to ever have lifted a hurl. To recover from one major knee injury is remarkable, twice is super-human. Three times and you start to wonder is the man human at all yet Graff is in with a shot of making the starting 15 against St Thomas’ on Saturday.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”86″ display=”pro_blog_gallery”]Cushendall team manager Eamon Gillan told us: “We thought he wouldn’t hurl, I now think he will. He had half an hour in a match last week and there’s been no ill effects. We’re very hopeful he’ll make it. He’s willing to do whatever it takes and he’s been training away. I’d be more than hopeful that he’ll start so long as he keeps well between now and the match.”
Unbelievable news given its just three months since Graffin was sat on the Athletic Grounds pitch with a dislocated knee. There’s no doubt about it, the tenacious Cushendall defender has shown incredible mental strength and he told us about his rehab since the Ballycran match: “It’s been going well. It was a disaster when it happened as it happened on my good knee but now I don’t have a good knee.
“I was distraught more than anything when it happened. Disappointment and then the noise, I was wondering what was going on you know but after a couple of weeks, we went on honeymoon. We came back before Christmas and I’ve been doing great work with Ally McKeown (physio). He would know a lot of my injury history too so he knows the craic and calls a spade a spade.”
Despite the successful rehabilitation, Graffin isn’t taking a starting spot in the semi-final for granted but has looked for the positives and has learned from previous set backs: “I’ve been going well but I think the game might be coming too soon but I’m back training, I’m back on the pitch and I just hope I can do enough to edge myself into a starting spot. To be fair there’s a lot of boys out there who don’t want to give me a spot, there’s good competition for places so we’ll see how it goes.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”90″ display=”pro_blog_gallery”]“I know what needs to be done, it’s like déjà vu. I’ve done it before and I know I can do it and get back to a certain level. That does make it easier. Even young Christy (McNaughton) – he done his knee badly last year in a similar injury. I’ve been helping him and he’s been helping me to try and get back.
“Injuries are weird. Initially you can feel sorry for yourself but you need to snap out of that very quickly. If you hurt your knee, there’s plenty of other stuff you can do, upper body stuff and that.
“Injuries can test your character more than anything. Frustrating and the older you are then the longer it can take to recover but these things are sent to test you mentally more than anything.”
Rehab is always a frustrating time for any player. In the run up to an All-Ireland semi final then it’s excruciating. A process that shouldn’t be time limited becomes a race. The temptation to push beyond your limits becomes greater and Graffin told us he’s had to take stock on a few occasions: “Off course. The lads have had some great challenge games and I’ve been on the side line looking to get in among it. You have to release you’re not ready. You have to keep with the rehab and go through the processes. You want to think you’re ready but you have to rein yourself back in.
“There’s good people around us here. Ally and the management know what they’re at as well. They have helped me especially to get my mind right and edge my way into getting to where I need to be.
“I’m back on the pitch and I’m back training but it’s getting to that level that’s coming up. It’s going to be a serious, serious challenge for us.”
The 2019 season will be Graffin’s 14th in a Cushendall senior shirt. The Ruairi’s defender said it’s getting tougher as the years go on but joked: “The mind is willing but I don’t know whether this 30 year old body is good to go. It’s tough getting up in the morning sometimes. You have to wonder what Sean Delargy and Natty are feeling like.”
Graffins first semi-final at this stage came against Galway opposition, Loughrey in 2006 but he reminisced further on these occasions when adding: “The match against De La Salle doesn’t feel like that long ago, it was 10 years ago. Ryan McCambridge and Paddy Burke and those boys ten years ago were 13 or 14. It’s crazy but that’s the way it is.”
On the prospect of hurling against St Thomas’, Graffin added: “We’ve seen St Thomas’ in action before against Loughgiel a few years ago and they won an All-Ireland title. It will be a big test but I hope my body gets to the level where I can push for selection.
“Hurling at this time of year is different. You look at the Munster championship and the balls are zipping but at this time of year it’s about who wants it most and the pitches aren’t as good. It’s about determination, grit and fight. Putting your body on the line.
“We are a team who can make it hard for ourselves and some have written us off but we always come back and do enough to get over the line.
“I personally haven’t looked at them. They have a mountain of Burke’s, I think there’s five or six of them. David Burke was captain of Galway and Conor Cooney’s an All-Star. They’ve a great amount of talent all over the pitch and it’s a bit challenge for us but we’re relishing it and one we’re looking forward to.”
Saturday represents Cushendall’s first opportunity for their own personal redemption. Defeat against Na Pairsaigh on the biggest club day of the calendar hurt and Graffin said they want to do themselves justice at this stage: “We’re doing everything we can. It would be great to get back to Croke Park on St Paddy’s Day as we have a couple of wrongs to put right.
“We’d love to get back. Three years ago it didn’t happen for us and everything for Na Pairsaigh went over the bar. Looking back the game was probably over at half time but in that moment we thought we could get back. It would be great to get back and give ourselves another chance but St Thomas is a massive task to get over to start with.
“We feel like we have serious players within our squad. Boys like Neil McManus would get on any team in the country and he’s in our pack. We feel if we work hard then anything can happen but it’s all on the day. There’s no second chances.”
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”88″ display=”pro_blog_gallery”]Graffin’s wife Sara-Louise has already booked her date in Croke Park this year, scoring a goal for Clonduff camog’s as they defeated Galway side Craughwell in the Intermediate All-Ireland championship semi-final. The Cushendall man is looking to emulate his better half on Saturday but also hoping for an anniversary gift: “It’s been an enjoyable journey (the championship) for us and hopefully the 9th February will be a good day. It’s my wedding anniversary that day as well, hopefully it will be a double celebration.”