O'Connor: 'Austin is such a character'
Fintan
By Cian O’Connell
When Waterford hurling is being discussed, talk invariably switches to Austin Gleeson.
The skill, versatility, and where best to utilise Gleeson’s vast talent. The popular Waterford selector Fintan O’Connor is happy to debate the topic.
“He is such a character, a free spirit the way he goes on, the way he is around the place,” O’Connor admits.
“It is very hard to pin him down to where his best position is. No matter where he is positioned he is very much set to follow a team ethic, but having said that an individual is an individual.
"You can't take out natural ability or natural instinct to do things. He will always have that in him, we wouldn't want to quash that either. When it comes to playing in a position you'll set that out, but he will go to the ball, like a young fella, with a freedom that young fellas have.
“It is great to see it at times. He will end up in positions that people say they have him back in the backs, but sometimes we don't, he is just chasing back after the ball like any young fella would.
“To answer the question nobody really knows his best position, once he is out there, once he is playing for the team, doing his best, we are delighted to have him.
Waterford star Austin Gleeson.
“From a shot point of view, and a score point of view to be hyper critical to just take the higher percentage shots rather than shooting blind, he will admit himself.
“He was better the last day at looking at the options when a shot wasn't on, he let the ball in or carried it more to where there was a shot on. That showed in his scoring rate and percentage.
“No matter where he is, Austin will play with a smile on his face, he just wants to play.”
O’Connor is encouraged by how Gleeson’s actions can be viewed as offering leadership in demanding times.
“In fairness to him he is a leader without trying to be a leader. He is a leader by actions I suppose. Leadership can be a tackle, a catch or a great score. Austin does that without even thinking about doing it going back to natural ability or instinct. He does things that lifts the team without even thinking about doing it, hopefully that is something we will see for years to come.
“I think when he is tuned in for a match he can do things to really lift the team. Some of the plays he makes naturally give the boys a spur on. Some of the scores he got against Clare and some of the catches, hooks, and blocks he made were crucial. The sideline was a crucial score, we had gone a long time without one.”
