Throughout his exceptionally enduring playing career Michael Brick Walsh would often end up explaining to people his nickname had nothing whatsoever to do with his style of hurling.
Sure, Walsh could hit like a brick, sometimes a ton of them, could take the brick-like hits too, only the nickname went back to his primary school days, something to do with imagining a double-barrel surname. For whatever reason it stuck.
It was apt for his durability too, Walsh playing 17 uninterrupted seasons with Waterford, retiring at the end of 2019, aged 36, his 76 appearances a then hurling championship record, only recently overtaken by Kilkenny’s TJ Reid (now on 78).
I think it’s happening too much, players being on the ground, and able to get back up again. It’s very important to police that, make sure it’s right
Walsh, a four-time hurling All Star, also played the 2002 season with the Waterford senior football team, his versatility on the hurling field always in sync with his physicality. Reflecting on the current state of hurling, particularly Sunday’s two epic Munster hurling championship showdowns, Walsh has no doubt those hits are bigger than ever.
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His concern is how players are reacting. In no way suggesting they are diving, Walsh believes some players are staying down too easily, also removing their helmets to ensure play doesn’t proceed.
“I think it is an issue, in terms of players going down,” he says. “I think it’s happening too much, players being on the ground, and able to get back up again. It’s very important to police that, make sure it’s right.
“It’s all about player welfare, but a lot of times players are going down, a lot of times the helmets are being removed, and would it be fair to say the physios are getting a lot of game time at the moment? I nearly know more of the physios than the players, with their helmets off.
“I always remember, Limerick went up in my estimation massive, when Séamus Flanagan got a belt against Clare, last year, on the back of the head. And he didn’t even look behind him. I’ve a lot of time for that
“I was thinking of Tommy Walsh as well, the time he got a belt from Benny Dunne, he spent about five seconds in the ground, then sprinted for the line, to get his blood injury sorted out.
“Now, I’m definitely not condoning it, but I think it’s being highlighted too much, in terms of head injury. Players probably have an aspect to cover that as well, because I don’t want us to see a GAA stop-start, people on, making sure they’re all right, that kind of thing. When within a minute or two they seem to be up and about.”
There’s a flip side to that too, Walsh suggests, as certain incidents, such as players touching their opposition’s helmet’s visor, are being called out as dangerously over-physical.
I just think there is a lot of times players are on the ground, and it needs to improve on that side of things
“I think it’s being highlighted possibly by the media, by co-commenters, a lot of times co-commentators saying, ‘oh, that’s a red card’. Like, to be fair to referees, and I probably wouldn’t have been brilliant with referees when I was playing, this thing of playing with the visor. You’ve a lose hand, and unfortunately a hand will go in a visor at times, might touch it, or whatever. And sometimes you hear co-commentators say that’s a red card ... they’re just honing in on this, big time.
“But I just think there is a lot of times players are on the ground, and it needs to improve on that side of things.”
If it’s happening late in the game, tactics are most likely at play: “Again, we’re all adults, we’re not naive, players take the helmet off to stop of the game. That’s fine, if they’ve stopped the game. But if they’re rolling around the ground, with the helmet off, I don’t know about that, if they’re not as injured as they’re meant to be.
“Hurling, for me, was always a manly sport, I’m not saying a stupid sport, if someone is badly injured, all that kind of thing, I’m fully aware of that. But I think it needs to improve, we’ll say, on that side of things. Because from when I was a player, they’re all massive men, stronger men, way physically stronger.”
Reflecting on Waterford’s current state of affairs, Sunday’s final Munster championship round-robin game against Tipperary offering nothing more than the chance to restore some pride, Walsh believes ill-luck has played a part, especially the loss of Tadhg de Búrca
Tipp are probably in the conversation for All-Ireland champions, so for Waterford to compete with them … it will certainly give a lift to the team, and the supporters
“It’s not ideal for Waterford, no question about it, going in against a Tipp team that are playing really well, working really hard. But they’ve had two weeks, will be hurting, we’re hopeful in Waterford they will come out with a performance.”
“Tipp are probably in the conversation for All-Ireland champions, so for Waterford to compete with them, while it won’t cover over the misgivings of the last couple of weeks, it will certainly give a lift to the team, and the supporters.”
“Look, you can’t blame it on coaches and things like that. It takes time to bed in, and losing players in the league, like Tadhg de Búrca, he’s a central part of the Waterford team. Waterford, no more than Wexford, need their best players in the field, can’t afford to lose players to injury, and that has been a problem.”
- Michael Walsh was speaking in Croke Park at the EirGrid Timing sponsorship event.
