Seán Powter on stepping away from Cork footballers: 'My body needed a break'

Seán Powter has admitted that it was the most difficult decision he has ever had to make to walk away from the Cork senior football panel for the 2026 season.

The Douglas native is emigrating to Australia in the New Year. The 28-year-old has been part and parcel of the Rebels furniture since making his championship debut in 2016.

Speaking to The Echo on Friday afternoon, Powter was a tad emotional to walk away.

“Australia has always been on my radar given my father is from there. I have always loved to see the country. I have always pushed it off for the sake of Cork football. For the past two years, I have been dealing with Osteitis Pubis. I have been in pain for the last two years.

“I was going to training in pain hoping the pain goes away. I wasn’t really focusing on my performances. I kind of lost the enjoyment of the game I love so much.

“Talking to the physio, Brian O’Connell, it was felt that I needed to take a proper break. If I stayed around, I wouldn’t have been able to take that proper break. I don’t have the willpower to step away from Cork if I was still living in Cork.

“It was probably the toughest decision I ever had to make. Every decision I had made was based around Cork football. It’s extremely difficult to walk away from it.

“But I knew that I needed to give my body a break. The past 10 years I have been chasing my tail really in terms of recovering from injuries. Mentally and physically, the year away might do me good.” 

Powter endured a fair bit of ups and downs over the past decade or so both on a personal level and from a team point of view.

“When I first joined the Cork panel, my plan was to win Munster and All-Ireland titles,” he says.

“Unfortunately that didn’t happen. I am proud that I represented Cork during the dark days. There was a cohort of lads that didn’t jump ship, we battled it out and now we are on the rise again, competing with the likes of Kerry and Dublin.

“I do look back with pride and the resilience that we showed. I would have liked to have won silverware. I do have a Division 3 medal alright.

“There’s a bit of frustration too looking back due to the injuries I had. At the start of my career, I took off like a whirlwind. I was thrown in the deep end and was nominated for the Young Footballer of the Year and made the International rules and then the year after, my hamstring story kicked off.

“There’s an acceptance though that I gave it my all to get those hamstrings right and I went all over the world, Brian O’Connell and Aidan Kelleher, without them I wouldn’t even be playing now.” 

Powter’s love, passion and commitment for Cork football has never been in question. His presence is a loss as the Rebels look to kick on next year.

“Since I made my debut, Cork football’s player and fan connection has always been tight-knit,” he says.

“We have a small band of supporters that travel to our games home and away and they truly care about Cork football. You get bonded in that way.

“Playing for the Cork senior footballers is unique. It’s something I always wanted to do since I was four or five years of age. I got that chance during my Leaving Cert.” 

Powter will now be a fan Down Under in 2026. He is confident that the Leesiders will have a successful campaign.

“I do think the lads will do well next year,” the Douglas star states.

“We are competing with the top teams now. The decision to walk away would have been a lot easier if we were down in Division 3 with no hope of winning an All-Ireland. The fact that we brought Kerry, the eventual All-Ireland winners this year, to extra time shows we aren’t far away.

“The Cork squad is probably the best squad in about seven or eight years. The start of the league will tell a lot. We just need to get off to a good start. I genuinely believe Cork will get out of Division 2 next year.” 

Powter is starting a new adventure in January, but does he see himself returning to the Cork set-up in years to come?

“I am just taking a year out at the moment. My body needed a break. I have tried everything to get the body right up to this point. If I give it a break next year, who knows.

“I have relayed that message to John [Cleary]. He has been very understanding. I am not going to say I am retiring from Cork because I do see myself wearing the Cork jersey again in the future.”