Kerry footballer, Jason Foley, pictured as AIB announces a five-year extension to its sponsorships of the GAA All-Ireland Football Championship and the AIB Camogie and GAA All-Ireland Club Championships. AIB is extremely proud to be extending their support of #TheToughest championships, as well as the players and communities involved in Gaelic Games nationwide.
By Cian O'Connell
As another Munster Final edges closer Kerry's Jason Foley is relishing the upcoming schedule.
With a new Championship format being implemented in 2023 Kerry's drive and desire to secure silverware remains.
Sunday's Gaelic Grounds provincial decider against Clare is next on the agenda before the All-Ireland group stages. Regardless of the outcome this weekend, plenty of matches are imminent. "I think it is great, it is fantastic," Foley responds when asked about the new format.
"If you speak to most players they would say they'd prefer to be playing good championship games as opposed to having three or four weeks off with training.
"It is great really that we are able to see a pathway ahead that will hopefully have a game maybe every second week for a good portion of the year. It is brilliant really."
At the outset of the 2023 campaign was it different returning as All-Ireland champions? "I think you have got to take something from it, a little bit of confidence, but you have to park it at the same time," Foley replies.
"Games come thick and fast, you are just so busy with training and games, trying to get up to speed that you really don't have time to think back too much.
"You are just one of the pack again, you are straight into Division One. There are lots of good teams, it is very competitive, and it has been for the last couple of years.
Kerry's Jason Foley in Munster SFC action against Tipperary. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
"The same again this year. You take a small bit from it, but you can't really look back at the same time."
Compared to 2022 Kerry were without several players during the league due to club commitments and injuries.
Foley wasn't overly concerned. "In the league you don't have time to think because there is a game nearly every weekend," he says.
"You just roll from one game into the next. It happens every year, you pick up knocks during and before the league.
"You just get on with it, that happens every year. None more so different than this year really, we just got on with it. Obviously we were missing a few extra bodies, but I think the fellas that came in did well too."
A convincing win over Tipperary ensures Kerry advanced to a Munster showpiece against Clare. "It is exciting, it is great to be back in another Munster final," Foley says.
"We are expecting a big test at the weekend, it is exactly what every team needs, it is exactly what we need at this time of the year.
"So we are looking forward to getting up to Limerick and getting stuck in."
