Conor McCann believes Antrim hurling has massive potential

Conor McCann accepts that Sunday’s Joe McDonagh final is an important milestone for Antrim.

His role as captain is to make sure the team is focused on the task at hand.

“It is going to be a huge occasion for the team and for the county. We are focused on our performance and getting the result. But we are trying to get across to them to enjoy the occasion, and to take it all in and not to get overawed.”

Winning a final on Sunday would indicate that the current crop have the potential to take the county to the level they feel they deserve to be at.

“The last few years we felt that we have been under-performing. Then there has been the history of the 1989 team who were in division one and playing in senior finals. If you are not reaching those heights then you are not at that level. But we weren’t reaching those heights so we didn’t feel like we were at that level.

“We felt that in the past few years has been building up to this.

“I think there is a structure in place that will allow the team to grow. But It is up to the players.”

While the ambition is to compete at division one, and to challenge in Leinster and the Liam MacCarthy, they have to prove they are good enough. Winning on Sunday would do that.

McCann says the team are level headed about the experience, and as one of the senior players he’s trying to lead them.

“You just try to pass on as much experience as you can. You only get one shot at it. You don’t want to be that team who thinks that they let it go past them, or get caught up in the occasion. We want to make sure everyone can perform.”

He said the week leading up to the game is crucial. They have to use that time carefully preparing their game plan, which will have to curtail a Kerry team that they have beaten three times already this year.

“This is a team that holds certain threats that we have to curtail. They are very strong going forward and they can punish you if you are not on your game. There is preparing for the opposition but we have to make sure we perform as well.

“Kerry are a similar team to ourselves. They work hard round the middle and try to free up people ot get scores. They can do damage if they are let play.”

Antrim are on an unbeaten run this year. And they have done so in the Joe McDonagh cup with out key men like Neil McManus.

McCann explained the team is greater than the sum of its parts.

“We have worked well as a group. Previous years we have been reliant on individual players to carry certain lines, or elements of the play. But the overall group is very strong this year. Every time you go out ot train, the intensity is unreal. That is shown on match days. Everyone is going hell for leather.

“The boys who are coming off the line are giving every bit as much if not more than those that are going off. That has been the same all year.”

McCann says that this year feels different to previous years.

“We are set up differently because of the new management. The type of players, the mix of young and old, things are definitely different. And there are some players who wouldn’t have come out and represented Antrim, but they have done this year.”