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Daniel Flynn encouraged by Lilywhites progress

Daniel Flynn pictured ahead of the draw for the Top Oil Br Bosco Cup at Croke Park.

Daniel Flynn pictured ahead of the draw for the Top Oil Br Bosco Cup at Croke Park.

By Cian O'Connell

Encouraged by a 'progressive year', Daniel Flynn is hopeful that Kildare can continue to make an impact in 2018.

Cian O'Neill's developing team will operate in Division of the Allianz League and Flynn believes the Lilywhites are equipped to operate at that level.

"It’s very competitive," Flynn says. "It's where you want to be playing, not just stay there but do well, push on and do well up there."

Despite losing the Leinster SFC Final to Dublin and a Round 4 Qualifier against Armagh, Flynn was satisfied with how Kildare's campaign unfolded.

"It’s been a progressive year," Flynn states. "We set out to get out of Division 2, and that went well. We are playing a lot better football, our style of play is improving all the time.

"We had a good run in the Championship; the Armagh game was a disappointment, but we’re going in the right direction anyway."

Flynn reckons that Kildare have the potential to compete with Dublin in the future. "I can’t see a reason why anyone can’t beat them," Flynn comments. "There is no obstacle to us beating them, other than the fact that they are very good. 

"It goes a long way if you believe you can do something. There’s a mental side there. And if you can overcome that, it goes a long way towards beating Dublin.

"I would be confident, but I think everyone else is too. It comes down to attitude more than ability. One man against the other man.  It‘s about that belief. They’ve been there, they’ve done it before, they know what they are capable of doing.

Kildare footballer Daniel Flynn.

Kildare footballer Daniel Flynn.

"It’s a bit like the four-minute mile: no-one could beat the four -minute mile, then Roger Bannister beat it, and soon everyone started beating it. That’s a good way of looking at it."

Flynn opted to return to Kildare following a stint in the AFL with Port Adelaide and the NUI Maynooth student is satisfied with his decision.

"I’m happy with my call to come home," Flynn remarks. "I had a small bit of regret for a little while, maybe a year.

"It is hard to settle back in, job-wise, knowing what to do with yourself, when everyone else has gone two or three years ahead. "I’m in college, doing accounting and finance, my final year at Maynooth.

"I'm just after getting a job with KPMG after I finish, so it’s all working out for me, hopefully, if I pass my exams. It’s what I wanted to do, so it’s fallen into place."

Flynn turned to Dublin footballer Ciaran Kilkenny for advice. "I rang him when I was thinking about coming home, I asked, do you regret it, and he said no, I’m happy out," Flynn reveals. "I got his number.

"But some of the other lads out there are loving it. I was chatting to Conor McKenna and Ray Connellan, and they are flying. "There could be eight to 10 lads in Melbourne. It’s all down to the individual, and depends where you go."

Flynn hopes to return to Australia, though, in November for the International Rules Series. "It’s been really nice, there’s some serious talent in there – Michael Murphy, Conor McManus, these boys," Flynn says about training with the panel.

"Close up, they have a presence about them," Flynn admits. "They’ve been there and done that, know what it’s all about. We haven’t seen any of the Dublin lads yet, they’re still in Club Championship."