Gavin Cummiskey talks to man-of-the-moment Kieran Donaghy about life after the All-Ireland

As ever, we found Kieran Donaghy in great spirits when he joined Kilkenny maestro James "Cha" Fitzpatrick for the GPA Opel player of the month awards for September at Jury's Hotel yesterday.

Donaghy is primetime now. After scorching through the championship, even eclipsing the impact Jason Sherlock made in 1995, everyone wants a piece of the action.

Take this week. Selector Eoin "The Bomber" Liston was on to him about joining up with the International Rules panel for a training session in Dublin on Saturday morning. Only problem is Austin Stacks have a do-or-die relegation battle against Castleisland later that evening.

No problem. A flight will be arranged to bring him back down in time. The man remembers where he came from. Keeping Stacks in the top flight is just as important as fighting for a place in the Irish green. "We're in a bit of relegation bother below," said the 82nd Stacks man to lift Sam Maguire.

"We have two games coming up in the next few weeks. I have to play them to keep the Stacks up because that's the most important thing. You have to keep the club up. It's a great club and it would be a shame to let it go down."

Gas thing is Donaghy shouldn't be playing at all. The groin seized up last weekend after months of constant exertion. He needs a break but doesn't want one.

"We're going on an old team holiday and that'll be my break. I'll enjoy that and then it's back down, shoulder to the wheel."

Presuming he recovers to become the central cog on Seán Boylan's Irish team (potentially the Irish riposte to the fearsome Barry Hall Jnr), surely he is slightly concerned that the Australians will single him out for some special attention? "I think they have cleared that up now. The refs will take care of that. There is no point having something where people are going to get hurt. You want to enjoy playing it. By all means have it hard. Tough and fair, like, but you have to enjoy it."

Okay fine, that is until a tardy reporter asks the same question with a blunter edge: what if the crazy Aussies take you out? "Well they could do that. I don't know what to say about that now. If it happens, it happens. I'll just take it on the chin. Take your beating and lie down you know? If I'm injured and can't play that'll be it but if there is any chance, I'll be playing."

Another carrot is the opportunity to play alongside Tadhg Kennelly. The only Kerry icon yet to pull on a Kerry jersey. The two knights of the Kingdom are separated by half a planet but may be united in 2009, when Kennelly's Sydney Swans contract ends, but for now they will have to settle for the confusing environs of the hybrid game. "I can't wait to play with Tadhgy. He made his decision to stay down under for a few more years. I know in the man's heart he would love to come back and win an All-Ireland with Kerry but he's young yet and if he comes back in a few years hopefully we will soldier through a game or two together."

The last two topics are intertwined: basketball and its influence on Donaghy's move to full forward, which has inspired his renaissance in Gaelic football.

"The boys don't get any credit. The passers of the ball like Paul Galvin and Seán Sullivan and Darren Sullivan. They are all great passers. It's coming nicely in on me. If it's just lamped in on top of me I probably won't win 'em but the boys put a kind of spin, put it in on an angle I can attack it. They have been great all year. Look at all the scores I got; they come from good passes. The goal against Mayo, Tommy Griffin put in a great ball. The goal against Armagh, Seán put in a good ball. Paul Galvin has been passing me great ball all year. They need to get a bit more notice for it because without them I wouldn't be catching any balls."

Basketball, is it still an option? "I'll play a few games if I get a chance. It's a good club, the Abrakababra (Tralee) Tigers, and we have good organisations and we get good fans up to the games so I'll try, but after Christmas I'll have to start knuckling down . . ."

He's a Gaelic footballer now. The GAA's version of Jonah Lomu may bulk up over the winter, which is a scary prospect for full backs, but let's see what the red-blooded Aussies make of him first.