Cavanagh ready for closing chapter
Sean Cavanagh admits 2016 could be his last year playing for Tyrone.
By Cian O'Connell
Sean Cavanagh admits that 2016 could be his last campaign in a Tyrone jersey.
Cavanagh has claimed three All Ireland titles during a glittering inter-county career that has entered a closing chapter.
"I’m obviously coming to the end, I know that and my family know," Cavanagh replied when asked was retirement a possibilty at the end of this summer.
"I suppose I’m 33 now and like anything in life the injuries start niggling at you a wee bit. I’m lucky enough at the moment that I’m in pretty good shape. But it just gets tougher; it gets tougher every year for the time commitment and the injuries and everything to do with it. You always think about these things in the off-season, but I’d say there’s a fair chance it will be."
The 2015 All Ireland semi-final defeat against Kerry hurt Cavanagh. "Last year, it was difficult probably because I genuinely believed that we could have beaten Kerry if things had gone our way.
“I thought we had the players to do that. It was gut-wrenching to say the least. We fully expected to be in an All-Ireland final afterwards.
“But look, it’s like anything. You reflect on things. And I do think we have the chance of some sort of silverware this year. That’s why I’m still here.”
Kerry defeated Tyrone in 2015.
Cavanagh remains honoured to represent Tyrone, who face Cavan in the Allianz Football League Division Two decider at Croke Park on Sunday, April 24.
"At the moment I’m still living the dream, I’m still loving playing football for Tyrone. I love every night at training and I love being part of the group but you have to be realistic that it is coming to an end; its coming to an end very soon. You relish every day as I am right now.
"You never say never; but I always had made the promise to myself and to my wife that I wouldn’t want to see myself limping to the end either.
"It’s not fair to do that on the team either that it would be come to the stage where you are living on a reputation or something like that. I don’t want to be that sort of a person and as I said it’s not fair to anyone.
"I just said to myself as long as I’m fit and healthy and enjoying myself I would do it. As years go on it just gets tougher to maintain that level of training."
To illustrate the advancements continually being made at the highest level Cavanagh compared the 2013 and 2016 GPS statistics.
"I was saying to someone earlier on, I was comparing some of the GPS stats back in 2013 to where they are now, and in some instances there’s like a 10% speed difference, even from three years ago," Cavanagh reflected. "It’s up 10% in terms of top speeds we are hitting; it’s amazing to look at.
"I suppose that’s the beauty of having the data, you realise how quick and powerful the game has become. I was just looking generally at the team stats, and the average top speeds and the average output of top-speed running and total running in a game.
"I’d say someone could do a fair article on it, because it’s fairly interesting that just in the space of three years to see the differences and they are quite glaringly obvious."
