"It's going to take time"

The appointment of Brendan Hackett to replace Tomás Ó Flatharta as Westmeath senior football manager, raised many eyebrows among Lake County Gaels on September 8th. To anyone not informed on the inside track of sport and GAA circles, it might be outside their awareness that Brendan Hackett has been at the heart and core of many GAA and wider sport success stories in the last decade. Indeed, long before that, he managed both the Longford and Offaly senior football teams. He has worked with a number of GAA teams that have made major breakthroughs in recent years, but it is his involvement with some of our Olympic champions and others who came very close to Olympic success, across various disciplines, that has been more noticeable. He was also more recently Chief Executive of the Athletic Association of Ireland.Over the past ten days, the Monaghan native has also created a stir with the announcement of most of his backroom team, with 1992 Olympic gold medallist Michael Carruth's involvement being a particularly interesting choice. Last week, Gerry Buckley met up with the multifaceted Hackett to discuss, among other matters, his work to date and his reaction to the Leinster Championship draw for 2010.Gerry Buckley: Brendan, five weeks into the job, could you give me a run down on progress so far.Brendan Hackett: Well Gerry, initially it's about setting structures up. When you get the right structures in place for the team, then you meet the team. So the first month was essentially about putting the structures in place. I think I said very early on that my vision was to create a high performance environment in which players are really well prepared. The first thing was to set up a number of committees, or I call them 'the team behind the team'. I went with the idea that it's a good idea to have a range of people select the panel, so we set up a selection committee and we ended up with ten people on it with a great spread of senior, intermediate and junior clubs, chaired by Paddy Collins. We met a couple of times and really the brief of that group was to just list out names of players with potential. A panel was drawn up and the clubs were given the option to add to it if they felt that there was a player that had been overlooked. And that's given everybody a chance. I said, I wanted to come with an open mind, with no history with players, to see what's here. That was the first step. The second step then obviously was ensuring that the rest of the team was put in place. The management team garners most attention but a good medical team and logistics team are crucial. In terms of the medical and logistics teams I felt it was important to have very capable and experienced personnel. Jerry O'Flynn has agreed to stay on as doctor and he's obviously in charge of the medical team. Joe Daly is returning as coordinator and head of the logistics team, which includes Damien McLoughlin, another man with experience in his role.GB: 'Spike' Fagan is one of your selectors. He is well known and greatly respected in Westmeath.BH: He is a huge addition. I had met him in 1990 through my involvement with the International Rules team and I knew he was going to be my first call. I would have been hugely impressed with not alone his attitude, but his whole approach to things. At the time he would have been coming from what was regarded in those days as a 'weaker county', but yet he didn't feel sorry for himself that he was never going to get anywhere. He took the bull by the horns, he got picked for Ireland, he got himself into incredible shape. When I was testing the Irish team there was no player fitter than 'Spike' in the whole of the country, including players that had just played in the All-Ireland final. So having somebody like that who was successful and who had all the attributes of a successful player, and who since has obviously been successful in business, that's the type of person I want in the management team.GB: Conversely, the other selector, Mattie Fox would not be a familiar name in Westmeath.BH: I have known Mattie for over twenty years. Indeed, we've often talked during that time about becoming involved together in county football management, and he will be closely involved in the management side of things. He has been very, very successful in his career. This is something that players are going to benefit from, having successful people around them. From a football point of view, he was involved in the background with the Longford team when they got promotion in 2005. They were in Division Three in a group that included Wexford and Derry. It would have been generally seen that they would have been the two teams that were destined for promotion, yet Longford beat Derry in the crunch match on the last day of the league. He would have managed clubs in Longford, including his own club Sean Connolly's. Also Dromard, one of the top club teams in Longford.GB: I have often read many absorbing articles in the national newspapers written by Gerry McDermott. He is coming on board also, I believe.BH: Yes, Gerry worked with me in Offaly and since went on to work with all the major teams. He is somebody who has a keen interest in the rules and the interpretation of the rules and the analysis of the game. His experience since working with me with other teams means that he too has had great experience of what it takes to be successful. The players will be surrounded by successful people and that will rub off. That will create this high performance environment that I speak aboutGB: The involvement of Olympic gold medallist Michael Carruth has surprised many people.BH: His involvement sends out a very serious statement. Here's one of the most successful sports people that Ireland has ever had and there is no other county in Ireland that will have an Olympic gold medallist working with them! It's as simple as that. His primary role is on the medical team. He is a qualified sports therapist, specialising in sports massage. He was keen to develop that side of his career. But there is so much else that Michael can contribute. Obviously he can contribute in his conversations with players, talking to them about what it takes to be successful. He will also at times take some elements of training. He is somebody who has been at the top of the world. You're always trying to give yourself just such advantages.GB: From the world of canoeing, Eoin Rheinisch is another well-known sportsperson who will be involved.BH: Eoin has huge experience in strength and conditioning. He is home now for the next number of months before he goes away to training camps. He will train with the lads during their strength sessions. Strength and conditioning would be something that a lot of players wouldn't be familiar with. Eoin would train up to 18 times a week as a matter of professional normality, so he brings an ethos I believe in myself, in that respect, and is a living practitioner, walking the walk. Every day, and week.GB: There was unease in many quarters last year that the backroom team was overloaded. Have you anyone else to come in?BH: Yes, there will be one other from Westmeath. I've always wanted to have Westmeath people involved and that will be announced at the next county board meeting.GB: Are we talking about another selector?BH: I don't like the term 'selector'. I prefer 'management team'. The management team has two jobs. One is preparing and the other is making selections. It's really important that there is another person from Westmeath in that set-up. It will be a tightly-knit management team. Medical people have their job and that will be a very small team. Likewise, the logistics team. I think one of the things that has changed is the amount of preparation that goes in to getting a county team ready nowadays. Twenty years ago, a manager could do a lot of it and often tried to do all of it. It's simply not possible with the different elements that go into it. A lot of the jobs that other counties seek outside help for, I can do myself because of my sports science background. I've coached international athletes and I've been in high performance settings. In terms of implementing training programmes there's a lot of that that I can do.GB: How have the players reacted to you so far and to your backroom personnel?BH: When we went to meet the players, everything was in place. I said to the players that I've approached this with an open mind. They see what I'm trying to do and the people that are going to make it happen. Now the rest is up to them. We would have a style where the management team and the medical team would sit down on a regular basis just to plan where we are going and to discuss what's happening on the scene.GB: Westmeath appeared to go from a very fit team in 08 to a very unfit one in 09, with results plummeting accordingly. We are all hoping that, whatever else, we will be putting out a fit team in 2010.BH: I think it's one of the essentials in being successful in Gaelic football. You've got to get people ready for the demands of the games. It's probably a little unfair to put that label on last year. I think when a team gets on a losing streak, it probably looks worse that it really is. I wouldn't necessarily think that the team was as unfit as people say. That's just a perception that's there. When things are going against you, you can look a lot worse than you actually are.GB: Be that as it may, the facts are that we lost twice to Dublin by 27 points last year and were well beaten by Meath in the Qualifiers. A lot of people would have said to me that 'the buzz has gone out of Westmeath football'. Have you perceived that in your short period here?BH: In a word, no. I met the players last week and 65 arrived, well ahead of the appointed time, to that first senior meeting, with about ten apologies, so that was 75. There were 45 in attendance with five apologies two nights later for the under-21 meeting. That's over 120 players who actually want to play for Westmeath. Last Sunday, we just had the senior players in for seven-a-side tournament, consisting of a series of games and there were almost 60 players taking part. There was actually a fantastic buzz from the players and that's what I've seen. Every single player who took part exuded real positivity, unity of purpose, togetherness, and commitment.GB: You've mentioned the positives. Were there some players you expected to see and didn't see?BH: No. As regards the Garrycastle players, I've spoken to their management and I would be keen to see them perform well in the Leinster Club Championship and beyond. If they go on and do well, that creates a buzz in Westmeath. The same applies to Tubberclair and Caulry. There are a few players that I don't know about yet and they will be contacted in the coming week. All of the players selected for the panel were invited to come to a meeting, they were invited to come to games and anyone who hasn't responded will get a follow-up call to see what their intentions are. We obviously want everyone who can add value to the collective to be part of Westmeath senior and under-21 football panels, and this management set-up has no agenda other than the pursuit of excellence. There are truly exceptional players out there. But, at the end of the day every man's personal view has to be respected and one cannot always shape the world as one would desire and wish for. Nobody ever knows the real reason why a man might opt out; it happens. Senior football at the highest level is a demand far beyond the comprehension of most people, and often the real reason is more deeply seated than the seemingly obvious. That's life, and the human condition.GB: You are aware that you are perceived as taking over an ageing team. John Keane has already said that he wishes to retire. You will obviously be anxious to hold on to experienced and proven quality players.BH: There are a number of players who are talking of opting out. You'd like to keep them while you're bringing in new players, because they have a wealth of experience. I often think that people underestimate what an older player can hand on to younger players in terms of helpful hints and sharing their experience. So you always hope to keep as many experienced players as you can, knowing that some are going to go, but you wouldn't want them all to go. I've seen about ten matches in the last number of weeks. Obviously it's the tail end of championship, but I've certainly seen quality in younger players. That's why I was keen to ask for a term of three years. I'm aware that there's a new team about to be built. The younger players need to be inducted into this high performance and success culture. The best way that they do that is if the under-21s can be successful and, as they move into the seniors, that there are still a couple of successful players around. I'm hoping that some players who won the Leinster in 2004 will be still around to share their experience.GB: Our lack of underage success in recent years, does that concern you? Particularly at minor level, frankly results have been poor.BH: I think there have been a few near misses in the sense that there were minor teams that weren't 100 miles away and probably the same at under-21 level. Look, that's the way it is. The only way that you are going to change that is by taking a positive approach to it. That's why I will be getting involved with the under-21s and getting them into the right frame of mind in terms of preparation. They are not just an add-on to the senior team and will be prepared as well as they can in their own right to do as well as they can in the under-21 championship. I'm a real believer that if a guy is successful at under-21 then he propels himself to the notice of the senior team. I've spoken with the minor board also about this and I know that the minor management should certainly sit in on senior and under-21 preparation. Equally, the senior management can come down from time to time and have an input into the minors' preparation.GB: This year you had the likes of 19-year-old Conor Lynam make a big impact at senior level. Do you feel that players of that age are able for the physical demands of the senior inter-county scene?BH: Well it varies. You get some lads who are physically very mature for 19 or 20 but, by and large, there have been a lot of cases in the GAA of people who have been pushed forward too soon. They may shine for a year or two, but you've got to look in the longer term. Personally, I believe working across a variety of sports that Irish men tend to be at their peak in their late 20s. Rushing a guy of 19, as a general rule, is not something I would be keen to do. But there are exceptions to every normality - Ronan Clarke won an All-Ireland at 18, in the relatively recent past, so one cannot write anything in stone.GB: The whole business of the alleged discontent of both Dessie Dolan Snr and Jnr about your appointment. Have you any comment on that?BH: Obviously I'm aware that Dessie Snr was interested in this job but that has nothing to do with me, so therefore it's not my issue. Dessie Snr I know, he became manager of Longford after me and I would have spoken to him a couple of times when he was there. First and foremost, he's a Westmeath man and he's passionate about Westmeath and I can understand his disappointment. But in the long term, he wants to see Westmeath succeed and he'll want to see his son playing. Let's be honest, Dessie Jnr has probably about three good years left and I think Dessie Jnr and Snr will be anxious to put Westmeath first. Both of them always have, is what I believe.GB: You saw Dessie in action recently for Garrycastle. He's a fabulous footballer.BH: Not alone is he a fantastic club footballer but he's a proven inter-county footballer at the highest level and players like Dessie deserve to have their talents seen on the national stage. I would love if Dessie Dolan was there for the three years of my term.GB: There are some players out there whom people like myself perceive may be up to inter-county standard but the word is they are not prepared to give the commitment. To date, have you come across players in that category who have, directly or indirectly, let you know that they won't make the sacrifices?BH: There are a couple of players who've been in contact with me who are in their final years of degrees in college and I do have an appreciation in the current environment that, first and foremost, people need to get their qualifications. We're talking here about people in their early 20s and I think a player like that needs the security of getting their qualification. I think a player who gets his qualification is going to be freer to give the commitment down the line. There are a couple of other players who haven't indicated yet what their intention is. It's a huge honour to be given the opportunity to play county football. If you have the talent, you've only got a few short years. As I see it, a player who is not committing now is not the type of player you want in Croke Park in the cauldron of a Leinster final.GB: There were rumours of discontent last year about the lack of readily available training pitches for the senior panel. Has this issue been resolved to your satisfaction?BH: Yes, we've put a lot of that in place already. I've spoken to a number of clubs and I'm happy with what we're putting in place for the on-field training. We also have facilities in the IT in Athlone and there's a very good relationship between them and the county board. I'm very keen to build that relationship because the third level colleges in general have great facilities and that culture of trying to get players from the minor age to the senior age. There's a very good relationship with Professor Ó Catháin. I would have known him from his involvement with athletics and I'm happy with the arrangements we have there.GB: The closed season is coming up shortly. Some observers feel that Westmeath took this too literally last year. Hence, the perceived lack of fitness when the actual games came around. What is your attitude to this compulsory period of rest as a group and what plans are in place to keep our players sharp over the winter?BH: This week, they are all being tested to see exactly where they are now and next week, just before the start of the closed season, they will all be given fitness programmes and they will be re-tested halfway through the closed season to see what their progress is. Obviously, for those who are not progressing there will be enquiries as to why not. Those that are will be given the next stage of the programme. So I mean the players have no business coming back in January out of shape. Those kind of players just won't make it. To me, the closed season is not the blanket solution for everybody. I think there are teams that have been out of the championship for a long time who are clearly behind others in terms of their preparation and I think it's unfair on those teams. I know what the idea behind it was that there were players involved in colleges football and under-21, and you've got to give some players a closed season. I totally understand that, but I don't think the one bill fits everybody. There are certainly some players and some teams who could do with that element of work. You take our situation, we are a new management team and we're officially supposed to start training on January 1st and we have an O'Byrne Cup match on January 10th and we're out in the National League on February 7th. Clearly, teams where the management has been in place for a year or two have an advantage.GB: Páidí Ó Sé famously referred to the O'Byrne Cup as 'a chance to blow out dirty petrol'. Do you see it as a sort of tournament just to be got out of the way before the league?BH: Well, I wouldn't be that dismissive of it. It's a tournament that comes very early, so clearly the team will not be prepared for the full rigours of the O'Byrne Cup. It will be a case of giving some players that we spotted in trials an opportunity to make a mark before the National League.GB: We're in a very tough Division Two. Have you a target set for the league, or is the championship the be-all and end-all?BH: It's no coincidence this year that Division One winners, Kerry also won the All-Ireland. Division Two champions, Cork contested the All-Ireland final. Also, Sligo, Fermanagh and Antrim had tremendous runs in the league and those teams all did very well in the championship. The league is a competition that I will take very seriously. It's an opportunity to be playing at the kind of level you want to be playing at. At a minimum, I would hope that we would be very competitive in Division Two, given that we have very little time. The minimum would be that we would stay in it, which will mean at least six points. Yes, we'll approach it in a very serious way. We won't be 100 per cent ready because of the time.GB: Last Thursday night, we got what seems to be a very favourable draw in Leinster for 2010. Would you agree and have you a target set for progress in the provincial championship?BH: I think it would be a foolish person who would regard any draw as favourable. In championship football anything can happen, there are plenty of examples and statistics on that one, so I wouldn't be falling into the trap of regarding the draw as anything other than a tough test. Wicklow have gained a lot of experience from last year and Carlow have plenty of reasons for wishing to beat them. Either team will be highly motivated to beat Westmeath, so we will have to be very well prepared.GB: You are clearly a hands-on manager, who envisages performing a Director of Football role in Westmeath. Have you experienced any negativity or resentment in any quarters in this regard?BH: I actually don't like the term 'Director of Football'. I just see one of the responsibilities of the senior manager as being the promotion of football.Now you can stay within your own narrow confines of the senior team, but I just saw this as an opportunity to promote football in a number of ways. Obviously I have areas of knowledge that can be very beneficial throughout the county and I'm thinking of the likes of coach education.I suppose the experience of being chief executive of a national governing body, I see this as an opportunity to share that knowledge and leave a legacy here.GB: In a nutshell, Brendan, is it a case of 'so far, so good'?BH: Very much so, Gerry. I was asked what was my initial impression of Westmeath.I formed a number of impressions. First of all, the county board people are very ambitious and they know what it takes to be successful.Also, I think the players have a lot of talent.I've certainly seen that throughout the ranks and it's a case of bringing the talent and the ambition that's in the county together and preparing it as best you can.I'm hugely optimistic from what I've seen.But it's like anything, it's going to take time.