Gonoud enjoying Westmeath journey in a different role

Up until last year Jamie Gonoud was still a Westmeath player, but he is now happy to be part of the management team preparing for Sunday’s eagerly awaited Leinster SFC final at Croke Park (2pm).

Gonoud is a member of the brigade of Westmeath footballers who played in two Leinster senior finals. He started the 2016 final against Dublin, having been introduced as a substitute in the 2015 decider where Westmeath were denied by the same opposition.

At the press function ahead of this year’s final, Jamie was asked about the tricky challenge of becoming a selector with so many former teammates and friends still playing.

“It has given me more appreciation looking back as to what is involved in preparing a team. It has blown my mind, the time that goes into it, the effort, the conversations, and players reaching out,” he said. “You just try and help as much as you can. I think someone said to me today, ‘Gee, you must be hurting at the moment over not being involved (as a player)’, but it’s the complete opposite.”

Gonoud said he was “so grateful” when Mark McHugh asked him to become part of the management team.

“It’s been so enjoyable to be involved in this journey, like you’re shadowing Emmet (McDonnell) and Mark, you’re shadowing two great coaches in Ryan Daly and Stephen Beattie, you’re shadowing an unbelievable S&C (strength & conditioning coach) in Tom Gribben. I’m kind of starting off in my management career, so it’s just been great to be involved in that capacity,” said Jamie, who is a teaching colleague of McDonnell’s in St Mary’s Secondary School, Edenderry.

When McHugh was unveiled as Westmeath manager, he appeared to leave the door open for Gonoud to remain involved as a player. Yet the Tyrrellspass man is satisfied with his decision to hang up his boots at inter-county level.

“I probably knew I came to a natural stop of playing last year. I’m not going to say an end because I don’t think any player or competitor would say an end, but I knew last year that I just wasn’t willing to put in the hard yards that are required at this level anymore,” he said.

“Like you’re playing for 12 or 13 years and there’s so many sacrifices made, and then you see the new rules and the pace of the game. When you get older, a little bit more doubt creeps in. It’s kind of a weird experience. You feel a little bit more vulnerable. You don’t feel as fearless as what you did when you were a younger person. So look, all that was creeping in.

“Also, when I saw the younger lads coming like Danny Scahill, Charlie (Drumm) and Conor Dillon, you’re nearly looking at them thinking, you need to let these guys spread their wings now because they were chomping at the bit,” Jamie continued.

“You could look at the experienced guys and think we’ll keep rolling the dice with them, or give the younger guys the opportunity and they’re excelling as you can see. They’re getting better and better which is really important going forward.

“I suppose I was waking up a little bit sore on a Monday morning and on a Tuesday morning. If there was a game on Sunday, sometimes you were getting to training on a Tuesday evening and you were just trying to survive. You were trying not to get exploited or made look silly. Then on Thursday, like you’d be ramping it back up again.

“You’d always be ready to go, but it became nearly a little bit of an ordeal to get up for a game, and then family was suffering and life was suffering, and I’d be on edge a little bit.”

Jamie has vivid memories of following Westmeath’s run to Delaney Cup success in 2004 as a young supporter.

“I didn’t miss a game and I can remember every game. I remember Rory O’Connell’s red card (against Offaly) and John Keane marking Matty Forde in the Wexford game. I remember where I was sitting in the Hogan Stand for the two finals against Laois, and I suppose that’s what drove me on to want to play for Westmeath and represent the county,” he said.

“It was just an unbelievable feeling, looking down at your heroes. I hope now that these guys are giving the next generation the kind of will and desire needed to make the sacrifices to play for Westmeath,” Jamie added.

*See this week's print edition for a 16-page supplement on the Leinster final.