All Ireland Hurling Final 2021

[Harv]

Geelong is a very quiet seaside own an hour out of Melbourne. Its known as 'Sleepy Hollow'

Do they have it on TV over there? Its on at around 4pm our time if you want t watch it.

Going to be very interesting to see where he lines up. Theyve named him on the half back line, so should be pushing up into midfield and running with the ball. But so far in his 4 games for the reserves he's mainly had a lock down defender role.

He's got a serious set of quads on him though. Full blown tree trunks

[Doc_Piptorious]

Geelong is a very quiet seaside own an hour out of Melbourne. Its known as 'Sleepy Hollow'

Do they have it on TV over there? Its on at around 4pm our time if you want t watch it.

Going to be very interesting to see where he lines up. Theyve named him on the half back line, so should be pushing up into midfield and running with the ball. But so far in his 4 games for the reserves he's mainly had a lock down defender role.

He's got a serious set of quads on him though. Full blown tree trunks

Yeah I have been to both Geelong and Melbourne. Spent years wanting to go to Oz so was in both when I made it over some years back. Pretty much went to parts of Oz I wanted to go to rather than just sitting on my arse in Sydney for weeks.

Geelong is lovely and Melbourne is really cool.


It might be on one of the sports stations as often spot AFL games on them, but am sure I can find a stream for it.


Yeah he does have a set of legs on him. He is very strong for his size (not that he is tiny) and those legs are an indicator of some of his strong points as in being very agile on the turn and being able to shuttle up and down a pitch all game long.

Guy is quite a good playmaker from a deeper role too. Hell of a lot of Mayo's play went through him from deep and that was him as a 19 and 20 year old playing in the senior team.

Him playing where he played so far makes sense. Slowly gets him used to the sport in a position that is more straight forward that what he no doubt will be hoped to advance into as the months go by.


Not sure if I said this over the past 12 months or so that we have chatted about him going to the AFL, but I genuinely think if he settles into the sport that he will become the best Irish player to have played in the AFL and there have been a few crackers. The guy just oozed talent when playing over here and was playing, and standing out, amongst established senior players from his late teens on.

[Doc_Piptorious]

My word, Toby Greene was immense for the Giants.


Solid enough without being stand out debut for Mullins in a tough game.

[Harv]

My word, Toby Greene was immense for the Giants.


Solid enough without being stand out debut for Mullins in a tough game.

Yeah Greene is a gun, kills us every time we play.

Just have too many injuries at the moment, the midfield has been decimated for weeks. Just getting slaughtered in there. Would've been good if our superstar Cameron kicked straight. He usually nails those shots at goal he had in the last quarter. Cant believe he missed them all!

Not a bad debut at all fr Mullin. Made a couple of errors as you'd expect, but he'd have learnt a heap from that game. The pressure was on all game and he never hid. Good signs. The way the seasons going now, its getting to the point where we just give all these young kids as many games as we can, and then get another nice low draft pick for next year. Finals are looking a long shot unless we really hit some form and get players back

[Doc_Piptorious]

Yeah Greene is a gun, kills us every time we play.

Just have too many injuries at the moment, the midfield has been decimated for weeks. Just getting slaughtered in there. Would've been good if our superstar Cameron kicked straight. He usually nails those shots at goal he had in the last quarter. Cant believe he missed them all!

Not a bad debut at all fr Mullin. Made a couple of errors as you'd expect, but he'd have learnt a heap from that game. The pressure was on all game and he never hid. Good signs. The way the seasons going now, its getting to the point where we just give all these young kids as many games as we can, and then get another nice low draft pick for next year. Finals are looking a long shot unless we really hit some form and get players back

Yeah Geelong are just carrying far too many injuries now.

There was some good performers on both sides though. I was rooting for Geelong, the Mullins effect lol, but was a crackinmg game for an outsider like me to watch.

Toby Greene was just amazing and the other Greene was pretty good too.

Mullins I thought did fine all things considered. Was solid, certainly did not let the team down, and that game and hopefully a few more this season will set him up nicely for next year. Considering he is only a young lad who would have had no background whatsover in Aussie rules and who only has months of the sport under his belt (not to mention living in a new country etc) he probably did more than fine truth be told.

Hiding is not in his nature on the pitch. He is a very confident kid and is used to being one of the guys in the team that is expected to dig in when things are tough. Guy is still a kid but is a natural leader in a team sport. That will come to the surface more once he knows his teammates better and once he proves himself to them.

Get him up to speed with the sport and get better players around him so he can play make and you will have a real gem there.

[Doc_Piptorious]

June 11th

Throw in at 13:45


The game that decides who will go on to be the next All Ireland champions.

[Doc_Piptorious]

In Limerick since last night and going to the final later on


Big enough crowd expected too, should be 44 or 45 thousand there.

Going to be a hell of a game. Clare are very much on the up as a team and Limerick are the great team, one of the greatest ever in the history of the sport, that are entering a period where previously peerless players are now "only" very good.

Plus Clare beat Limerick by a point the last time the played. The first loss Limerick had in quite some time.


Was this game being played in any of the past three or four years then a one sided win for Limerick would be expected no matter how good Clare were, but now in 2023 this is a very good Clare team facing a Limerick team on the slide so is very much a 50/50 game and one that I expect will see the winner go on from to be the All Ireland champions.

[Irishnev]

Tight game Jaco - looked a free for Clare at the end

[Doc_Piptorious]

What an effing game.

It had everything.

Hard fought, physical with no quarter asked for nor given. Gillane and Hegarty were giants for Limerick. The former in the first half as he pretty much kept Limerick clinging on when Clare were well on top for long periods of play, and Hegarty in the second half when Limerick went at Clare hard.

Clare threw everything they had at Limerick and came very very close to upsetting things. First half Clare were the better team and they must be kicking themself that they went in at half time three up against a team like Limerick with form for hitting back hard in second halves.

And hit back hard Limerick did. They clawed back Clare's lead and once Limerick got in front they stayed there with both teams swapping scores the entire second half.



Clare's forwards should have had Clare going in at least six ahead after the first half. Clare's aggression and approach play was immese in the opening 35 minutes. Certainly the better team in the first half.

The fans were amazing too. Clare and Limerick fans roaring their teams on front start to finish. Non stop shouting and singing. Fans mixed in together without a hint of hassle. Game ended and both sets of fans talking and mingling.

My throat is raw from shouting.


What a day for Limerick though. That is five Munster championships in a row now and now into the All Ireland semi finals so there is now a chance of winning four All Irelands in a row.

Felt a bit for Clare as that is probably the hardest any team pushed Limerick in a final from any of the nine finals Limerick have been in since 2018 and if Clare's forwards had stuck away more of the many chances they created then that second half fight back might not have happened.


This Limerick team is nuts though. On the wane yes, but the fight that is still in the team is off the charts.

Since 2018, Five time Munster Champions, Three times National Hurling league winners and four time All Ireland Champions with maybe a fifth to come this year. Only team that has come close to them, when at their peak, in sport for me are the All Blacks as Limerick have turned in on for years in a row.



As for the foul against Clare at the end. It should have been given as one no doubt at all as it was blatant imo. Had my hands on my head when it happened.


Munster hurling is just so damn strong though. Limerick are Limerick, but Clare and Cork has smashing squads and are damn good teams. Tipp and Waterford are never too far away from their next great team either.

[Irishnev]

What an effing game.

It had everything.

Hard fought, physical with no quarter asked for nor given. Gillane and Hegarty were giants for Limerick. The former in the first half as he pretty much kept Limerick clinging on when Clare were well on top for long periods of play, and Hegarty in the second half when Limerick went at Clare hard.

Clare threw everything they had at Limerick and came very very close to upsetting things. First half Clare were the better team and they must be kicking themself that they went in at half time three up against a team like Limerick with form for hitting back hard in second halves.

And hit back hard Limerick did. They clawed back Clare's lead and once Limerick got in front they stayed there with both teams swapping scores the entire second half.



Clare's forwards should have had Clare going in at least six ahead after the first half. Clare's aggression and approach play was immese in the opening 35 minutes. Certainly the better team in the first half.

The fans were amazing too. Clare and Limerick fans roaring their teams on front start to finish. Non stop shouting and singing. Fans mixed in together without a hint of hassle. Game ended and both sets of fans talking and mingling.

My throat is raw from shouting.


What a day for Limerick though. That is five Munster championships in a row now and now into the All Ireland semi finals so there is now a chance of winning four All Irelands in a row.

Felt a bit for Clare as that is probably the hardest any team pushed Limerick in a final from any of the nine finals Limerick have been in since 2018 and if Clare's forwards had stuck away more of the many chances they created then that second half fight back might not have happened.


This Limerick team is nuts though. On the wane yes, but the fight that is still in the team is off the charts.

Since 2018, Five time Munster Champions, Three times National Hurling league winners and four time All Ireland Champions with maybe a fifth to come this year. Only team that has come close to them, when at their peak, in sport for me are the All Blacks as Limerick have turned in on for years in a row.



As for the foul against Clare at the end. It should have been given as one no doubt at all as it was blatant imo. Had my hands on my head when it happened.


Munster hurling is just so damn strong though. Limerick are Limerick, but Clare and Cork has smashing squads and are damn good teams. Tipp and Waterford are never too far away from their next great team either.

Surprised Lohan didn’t make the change at full back sooner - Gillane had a field day until they eventually made the switch

Cracking game, cracking Munster championship (as per) and great weather to boot

[Doc_Piptorious]

Surprised Lohan didn’t make the change at full back sooner - Gillane had a field day until they eventually made the switch

Cracking game, cracking Munster championship (as per) and great weather to boot

Was a bit hot and muggy. It felt like a furnace in the stand, which makes the amount of running and effort from both teams all the more impressive.


No harder hitting sport in the world for me. Maybe Football (GAA) and Aussie Rules come close, but hurling is on another level for raw power, speed, agility, skill and hard *******s all over the shop.

[Harv]

ice hockey says hi. When you see someone with their head down blazing through the neutral zone and a defender steps up to check him, then that is as big a hit there is in sport. Even with the padding. Brutal.

Aussie Rules would've been harder too in the 80's and 90's. Go watch the best-hits highlights on youtube. But they've made a real effort to clean it up after a lot of concussion issues. You pretty much cant bump anyone now or you get suspended. Now tackling is in their sights too. You cant tackle people to the ground anymore incase they hit their head. Really ruining the game tbh.

[Doc_Piptorious]

ice hockey says hi. When you see someone with their head down blazing through the neutral zone and a defender steps up to check him, then that is as big a hit there is in sport. Even with the padding. Brutal.

Aussie Rules would've been harder too in the 80's and 90's. Go watch the best-hits highlights on youtube. But they've made a real effort to clean it up after a lot of concussion issues. You pretty much cant bump anyone now or you get suspended. Now tackling is in their sights too. You cant tackle people to the ground anymore incase they hit their head. Really ruining the game tbh.

Hurling kicks Ice hockey in the head then runs down field to score.

Hurling was also far more physical in years gone by, but it is still very much a full contact sport that is played at a very high pace pretty much for the duration of the game.

Full blooded tackles and body checks are still part of the game and there are massive hits all game long that would make a rugby player blush with players bouncing back out to dish something back themselves.


And the fitness levels are off the charts. The players play at a pro level, they train to pro levels, they go off teh chasrts in bleep tests and it is still an amatuer sport where players play it not because it is a big paying career but because of the sport.

And not only is it full contact body top body, throw in hurleys which ****ing hurt when hit by one (and you will receive a number of reminders of this in every single game) plus the sliotar ( the ball) is a solid little fecker.

The players have no padding or protection save for a helmet.

[Harv]

Hurling kicks Ice hockey in the head then runs down field to score.

Hurling was also far more physical in years gone by, but it is still very much a full contact sport that is played at a very high pace pretty much for the duration of the game.

Full blooded tackles and body checks are still part of the game and there are massive hits all game long that would make a rugby player blush with players bouncing back out to dish something back themselves.


And the fitness levels are off the charts. The players play at a pro level, they train to pro levels, they go off teh chasrts in bleep tests and it is still an amatuer sport where players play it not because it is a big paying career but because of the sport.

And not only is it full contact body top body, throw in hurleys which ****ing hurt when hit by one (and you will receive a number of reminders of this in every single game) plus the sliotar ( the ball) is a solid little fecker.

The players have no padding or protection save for a helmet.

Not for big hits it doesn't. I know youre patriotic and love Ireland, but this isn't even up for debate. Hockey players are travelling the speed of a car over the ice ffs. When they nail someone they send them to Jupiter

If they weren't wearing padding then people would die playing this game.

Look at this some of these. They're absolutely brutal.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro7RTx5PU-E"]NHL Biggest Hits Of All Time - YouTube[/ame]

There was a guy from years ago, captain of the New Jersey Devils, Scott Stevens. Ended a few guys careers with absolutely brutal hits.

Also, the puck is hardened frozen rubber. They are rock hard and a big slap shot sees it travel at over 100mph. These guys are diving in the way to block those shots

[Doc_Piptorious]

Pussies in the NHL. You just watched The Goon and Slap Shot a few times too many.

Watch the opening battle scenes of Saving Private Ryan again someday. That would be regarded as a soft game of Hurling.


But I don't hold it against you Harv. It's not your fault you are an Aussie (or maybe even a plastic aussie) and that bit softer than almost all your Irish brethren.

Well softer than Nev, Angryred, Brightred, Frankthetank, Badpiggy and of course my good self anyway.