'We're not worried about celebrating'- James Dolan

By Kevin Egan

In the immediate aftermath of Westmeath’s win over Down last Saturday night in Croke Park, one of the first questions to be thrown at Dessie Dolan was the issue of Wicklow coming down the tracks so soon, and if that would hamper celebrations.

With the clock already ticking down towards the Leinster Championship fixture in Portlaoise tomorrow (Sunday), Dessie acknowledged that players would have to switch straight into pre-match mode, and sure enough, these comments were a lightning rod for plenty of discussions about the condensed schedule, and how players were deprived of what should be a natural reward for success.

When James Dolan travelled to the National Museum in Dublin for this week’s launch of the Leinster SFC, the Garrycastle and Westmeath defender was asked the same question, and while he accepted that the reality of the matter was that they just went home and turned their focus towards Wicklow, he also refuted the idea that this was any sort of big sacrifice on the part of the players.

“In fairness, we always knew once we got to the league final that we were going to be playing Wicklow the week after,” was his response.

“That's the biggest game of our year now so there was no celebrating. We were training on Monday so there was no craic after that. Hopefully we'll get a chance at some stage."

“I remember the last time we won the Division Three title with Jack Cooney, and we had good craic after that. There was a good celebration because there was a good break between games. This year, to be honest, we're not worried about celebrating.

"There are so many injuries in our camp at the moment that we'd love an extra week just for them to get better. If you get a bad injury, even a dead leg or something small on Sunday, you're out for the next Sunday.

"I think we'd be looking for the breathing space just injury-wise and keeping the bodies healthy because playing for three or four weeks on the bounce is tough going on the body. We're not worried about celebrating anything, we're worried about getting lads back on the pitch."

So the question was put to him directly – is this sort of ‘deprivation’ just an issue in the media world, but not among the players?

“It's a really good lifestyle and a really healthy lifestyle. You've got the best coaches, access to the best gyms, the best pools, the best recovery, the best nutrition. If I gave up in the next few years, I'd still want that," he responded.

“I'd still be going to the gym, I'd still be training with Garrycastle and I'd still want to be getting the right food into me. There's enough of a break at the end of the year to do whatever else you want to do. When you're in season, I think you're very much in season. When it's over, then you can do your other bits and bobs."

So if the concern is injuries, what’s the updated take on some of those key men that have played either no role in the league, or something closer to a cameo role?

"I don't know how they are. The boys are training away but I don't know how close they are or how far away they are,” he said, before sounding a positive note about this Sunday.

“In the past, I don't think we would have been able to challenge as well as we have with the injuries to those key players. Some of the young players who have stepped up into those roles this year have really taken their chance, I suppose. It won't be easy for those boys to get back into the panel, which is no harm at all. The injuries, I suppose the weather has been so bad and the pitches have been so bad, it all lends into itself game after game," he added.

*See next week's print edition for coverage of Westmeath’s Leinster championship clash with Wicklow.