Colin Corkery: Cork aren't bringing through players to senior level properly 

FORMER Cork footballer Colin Corkery feels there are no shortage of players on Leeside but a combination of things hinders their progress. 

There has been a lot of debate around Cork football on the back of the Rebels' meek exit from the 2024 championship. The Leesiders looked in a strong position heading into the Tyrone match in their final game of the All-Ireland SFC group stages only needing a draw to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Sam Maguire but after losing by four points, another loss followed against Louth in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final last Sunday week.

Corkery, who captained the Rebels to Munster glory in 2002, had many interesting things to say when speaking to The Echo.

“Looking at it from the outside, Cork changed their game plan against Louth,” Corkery said.

“In the matches against Kerry and Donegal, Cork really went for it and I just feel that wasn’t the case against Louth. We slowed everything down and played into Louth’s hands. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t but it just didn’t work. The big players didn’t play well, and couldn't get into the game.

“We just couldn’t penetrate the situation at all whereas in the games I just mentioned against Kerry and Donegal we just went for it. We don’t have the players that we had but we had the players to beat Louth. It was very disappointing. A big setback.” 

Corkery feels the players and talent are there on Leeside but when they come up to senior level they aren’t being developed and brought through in the right way.

“Over the last four or five years, we just haven’t been able to bring through players from the underage teams,” the former Nemo Rangers star says.

“For instance, Conor Corbett, an excellent young player, his form has dipped lately, but I think the style of play doesn’t suit him. I know the results were positive and it’s all about results but to get there you have to develop the younger players. The older players in the team, there’s probably not much more in them, and they owe Cork football nothing. The players are there but you just need to develop them.

“I would like to see, going forward, the football management to sway some of the hurlers on the Cork hurling team to play football. I don’t think we are doing enough of that and we need to make it attractive. Also, I would like to see us do more to keep hold of players who are going to Australia to play AFL. I know you can’t stop them but try your best."

Corkery has concerns with the underage structures in Cork, something he is very familiar with, amongst others.

“We aren’t developing the players at underage level the way we were years ago,” he said.

“I can see firsthand the work they are doing at Rebel Óg level as my young lads have been involved in the past. They [Rebel Óg] are working hard but that goes down to the schools and colleges as well. You look at the hurling side of things, there’s a buzz back in the Harty Cup again with Midleton, Christians and the Mon doing well.

“At Corn Uí Mhuirí level, Cork teams haven’t performed well enough for years. You look down in Kerry, the majority of school teams are all very competitive every season. When Chríost Rí and Spioraid Naoimh were doing well, it helped Cork football. I just don’t see a progression from minor to U20 to senior. Our minors and U20s have just been blown away physically in the last couple of years and getting the basics wrong.

“We are getting very mechanical with the minor and U20 teams. Yes, you want to win, but I think we should be focusing more on trying to develop players. Also, I think the senior management should have a say in how the minor and U20 teams play. Every team is playing a different style trying to get results. It needs to come from the top.” 

The former Cork captain reckons it will take a few years for the Leesiders to ripe. Despite the steady progress manager John Cleary and his management team have made with the players over the past two years, there’s still another bit to travel.

“I think if we can introduce four or five new players next season it would change the dynamic. The players are there, it’s all about bringing them through properly. It’s going to take time, it won't be pretty I say but give them a chance. Whether John [Cleary] has the stomach for it I don’t know.

“There are other guys too who weren’t on the panel this year as they went on holidays and what not and it could be a case of sitting down with them. I don’t think the management will keep the same team next season, it’s a rebuilding situation in one sense.” Corkery concluded.