Credits roll on a career that never ceased to thrill

It was a fairly standard rapid fire round during TG4’s Seo Sport last year which featured Eoin Kelly as the interviewee. The questions surrounded career highlights, hobbies and so on. “Favourite band?” was one of them. “Pavarotti!” Kelly replied without hesitation.

There was no element of surprise last week however when word of his retirement filtered through. In a high octane career, no explosive ending could be found. He finished up as an unused substitute against Cork on a July day at Semple Stadium. He usually lit up such occasions. This time little ink would be used to describe his impact on a knockout championship match.

A couple of factors entered the equation. On a practical level, he was going head to head with Shane Walsh for the full forward slot and, with the Fourmilewater man in the form of his life, he found it difficult to fit in elsewhere. He also never fully adjusted to the role of impact sub. Before the 2011 Munster final, he conceded that he didn’t pay close attention to events on the field before he entered the fray against Limerick. “I kind of got caught up in the game a bit. I wasn’t really thinking about what I was going to do when I came on. I kind of switched off a bit that way.”

Kelly needed to start and get a run of games under his belt in order to make a meaningful contribution. When he felt that his grip on a permanent berth was slipping, he decided the time was right. On WLR FM last week he said: “It’s time for the younger lads to come through. I probably have enough done now just to leave these lads a chance. There’s no point in me hanging around and taking someone’s place. Looking back at the last couple of years, I have only been a bit player. It was time to call it a day. Maybe I’m taking a younger lad’s place on the panel that might have more to offer.”

Since he burst onto the scene, great expectations have been placed on his shoulders. At the age of 20, a Munster title and an All Star came along in quick succession and it took time to come down from that early high and reach those peaks on a consistent basis. Under such intense scrutiny, Kelly managed to get a handle on the pressure cooker of championship hurling and matured to become a leader of the team especially during Davy Fitzgerald’s tenure. It’s easy to forget Kelly’s spectacular scoring returns in 2008 given how the year ended up. In a nervy qualifier against Offaly, Kelly scored 2-13 out of 2-18. He followed that up with 1-8 in the quarter final and 1-10 in the last four. In the build up to that September Sunday, he was the leading contender for hurler of the year. On 7-43, he streaked away in the championship scoring charts. David O’Callaghan and Joe Canning finished in joint second spot all of 25 points adrift. Despite adopting an unusual free taking stance, he took on that responsibility from the tail end of 2006 right through to 2010.

Long distance points also became a signature score. During a spell spent around midfield, he profited from that extra bit of space. His four white flags in the 2002 All Ireland semi final convinced the All Star selectors to put Kelly in the end of year fifteen. In the 19 point demolition job inflicted on Clare two years later, Kelly hit four from play along with four frees. 37 minutes into the 2005 Munster semi final against Cork (the forgotten game in the list of classics), he had accounted for six from play.

Waterford will also miss his goals. After ten barren games, Kelly broke his duck in memorable fashion in the 2004 Munster final. He averaged a goal every three games after that and they often came at crucial junctures. He showed a poacher’s instinct in the 2006 semi final to put Waterford in a good position before Cork rallied. The following June, his second half effort settled an eight goal belter. His 21 metre free before the break eased a few jittery nerves in the 2008 quarter final with Wexford. That net buster during the 2010 Munster final must go down as his best however and it came at Waterford’s hour of need.

In hindsight, the tide began to turn after he was substituted against Tipperary in the 2010 All Ireland semi final on 51 minutes. His four year old son also received verbal abuse from supporters about his performance that day. His comments afterwards make for interesting reading. “You'd have to ask yourself whether it's worth carrying on playing for Waterford, if this is the kind of thing you have to deal with.” Doubts began to creep in at that stage. He only made three championship starts thereafter. That criticism received from the stands and terraces and also from internet forums was something he addressed once more last week. Speaking to WLR FM he said: “Some things leave a sour taste in your mouth. The Waterford supporters, the majority of them, are fantastic but there’s always one or two that were saying things that they might regret and if I caught them they would definitely regret it.”

He dropped other subtle hints along the way. After the Clare victory he said: “There’s brilliant players coming through for Waterford. Like I could be gone next year I don’t know like or Mullane could be gone next year. These young fellas have to get a chance.” His exclusion from the panel at the start of the year was also put forward as a possible reason for his retirement. His reaction to that news at the time and subsequent recall suggested that he was willing to build bridges and not burn them. “A misunderstanding between two fools” is how Kelly put it when questioned by Marty Morrissey after the final round of the league. The jubilation shown after the Munster semi final success also suggests that Kelly was prepared to brush off any early season tensions.

But has he left his seat and gone for the exit door too soon? Later this month, Eoin will turn 30. 11 seasons at senior level takes a toll but with the advances in sports science he may yet have one or two more years to offer. It’s also an area of the field where Waterford can ill afford to lose players from given their low scoring returns and goals shortage. Michael Ryan requires cutting edge forwards and Kelly’s won’t help to stop the slippage in the hurling rankings. Four of the six starting forwards from the 2002 Munster final have now said their farewells. Before he picked up that thumb injury, he also made Passage tick in the club championship. He scored 6-9 in four games and looked particularly sharp against Lismore when they salvaged an unlikely draw.

Opinion diverges any time Kelly’s name enters the conversation. With his talents came a level of expectation. The bar was raised. He thrived in the rollercoaster ride under Justin and continued in that vein with Davy. Waterford will have to get along without his spark and imagination. There was always buzz of anticipation when he gained possession as supporters waited for something wonderful. More often than not, Kelly didn’t leave them disappointed.