Podge Collins bringing Clare forward on two fronts

Clare All Star and All-Ireland winning hurler Podge Collins remains intent on playing both codes this summer – as long as the schedule allows it.

Collins, son of current Clare football manager Colm, has already got two dates in the diary: Clare’s Munster football championship opener against Waterford on June 8th, and the county’s Munster hurling championship opener against either Cork or Waterford the following Sunday, June 15th.

Hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald also appears open to the idea, although Collins admits it all comes down to an agreement between the two managers involved.

“They organise the training,” says Collins, just back from a training camp with the hurlers in Portugal. “They said at the start of the year that they’d take it off my hands and communicate with each other.

“It’s grand that way. It’s been a good balance so far. I’ve got enough of both. Seán (his brother) is the same. It works out ideally. There’s no pressure on us.”

Collins also believes that being out of the under-21 ranks will help him juggle both codes: “I think with the level of the GAA now, with eating, sleeping and how people are looking after themselves, it is achievable, in the right circumstances. If you look after yourself well enough, it is achievable.

“ The key is not to get burnt out. When you’re out of under-21 it’s a big help. When you’re in under-21, you’ve county hurling and football, club hurling and football at under-21 level, that’s four extra teams. But when you’re just senior, I think it’s achievable.”

Getting promotion out of Division Four also provided some tangible reward for his commitment to football, even if Clare lost the final to Tipp on Saturday (Collins himself did not feature): “Promotion was the main goal at the start of the year. And I have enjoyed the football. We’re disappointed with the hurling, losing to Tipperary in the semi-final was a big disappointment but we’re very focused on the championship.”

On both counts.