GAA ALL-IRELAND SHC FINAL KILKENNY V WATERFORD: Seán Moranprofiles the captain who will proudly lead underdogs Waterford into action at Croke Park on Sunday
IF WATERFORD confound the odds on Sunday the first player from the county in 49 years to raise the MacCarthy Cup will be Michael "Brick" Walsh. He's not a typical hurler from one of the big clubs but something of an outsider in that his initial reputation was as a footballer.
Man of the match in the county's historic under-21 Munster final win against Kerry - in a cast that included Colm Cooper and Declan O'Sullivan - five years ago and a couple of months later the county's footballer of the year, he was also central to his club Stradbally's march to the provincial club football final a year later, a campaign that ended in a narrow defeat after a replay against Clare's Kilmurry-Ibrickane.
Nonetheless he disputes the concept of being from the wrong end of the county, pointing out that the county's high profile this decade has successfully evangelised the whole county.
"There's no such thing as coming from different parts of the county. The likes of (former Waterford players) Fergal Hartley and Stephen Frampton have done a lot of work to bring on all areas and not just the traditional ones. As Waterford hurling gets stronger you're bound to have more players coming out of those areas and that's what we've done."
His own progress and development stand as an encouragement to anyone not from a hurling background. His athleticism and leadership qualities were obvious as a footballer but his application to becoming a hurler was equally impressive.
The transformation took place in the great hurling nursery of Waterford IT. Having made his way quietly at first, Walsh emerged as a leadership figure after the graduation of many of the 2003 Fitzgibbon winners.
"His bravery was another thing that caught our attention," according to Colm Bonner, WIT's clubs and societies officer, "no problem sticking his hand up and well able to protect it, which is a huge skill considering the amount of ball he wins and how rarely he gets hand injuries."
Justin McCarthy called him into the team for the 2004 Munster final victory where his immense work-rate and commitment played a major role in helping the team overcome the sending-off of John Mullane and defeat Cork despite being a man short.
Whereas Walsh hasn't maintained the All Star form of 2007 he has characteristically worked hard and made a vital switch in the semi-final win over Tipperary, his 10-minute cameo at centre forward shutting down Conor O'Mahony's influence.
There was an irony in the switch in that for a long time in 2006 former manager McCarthy had tried to make a full forward out of the player before accepting that his best position had to be in the middle.
"At the end of the day there's not that much difference between the positions," says Walsh of last month's stint on the 40.
"I was just anxious to get on the ball. I got a few breaks here and there but overall I was poor the last day. Then again you don't care how you play as long as we win. No point in playing well and losing."
The teams met once before in a national final, last year's NHL decider in Thurles, where Waterford won an exciting match and Walsh got to raise the trophy. There's no surprise in the qualities he immediately identifies as Kilkenny's principal assets.
"Their huge intensity and work-rate. Their forwards are like six backs when the other team has the ball - they just won't leave them out. Every team that plays them has to match them for work- rate for a start. Their view is that if they keep up that rate they won't be beaten. Against Cork they were amazing to watch."
On the verge of the county's first All-Ireland final after so many semi-final disappointments the Waterford captain isn't inclined to lose perspective now that they've cracked the solution.
"People said we'd done things differently but a break here or there makes all the difference. In other years the goal that was disallowed (late in the game for Tipp) might have counted or mightn't have been a square ball.
"The breaks you get, get you there. Our substitutions worked - everything worked but there's a flip side and changes that worked one day won't necessarily work the next."
Fitzgerald picks same starting 15
Waterford manager David Fitzgerald has decided to leave unchanged the 15 players, who defeated Tipperary in last month's semi-final, for Sunday's All-Ireland final.
The selection means that Ken McGrath is named in his best position of centre back, having played the qualifier matches at full back where he was listed to play in the semi-final but switched before the throw-in.
