BRIAN Og McGilligan believes that this could be an exciting year for the Derry hurlers when they get started up.

While the team have not been able to meet collectively due to the pandemic, there has been contact between the new management of Dominic McKinley and Cormac Donnelly and the Oak Leaf hurlers.

“This year I feel really optimistic and feel really good. I can’t wait to get back to the field, and I do feel there is great potential there,” McGilligan said.

“They have been able to give us an idea of how they want us to play and what we should be aiming for. I am 100 percent excited. The lads there are strong hurling men. They have traditional hurling values. They want us to play an good attractive style of hurling. But you have to be successful too.

“We have been close in the last few years in terms of getting promoted up to Division 2A so that has to be our focus. We have been competitive at Christy Ring level as well. We have got to semi-finals and got beat by teams that have went on to win it. We feel like we are as good as any team there. So if we can get there and get going, then we have a chance because that competition is about momentum.”

Derry hurlers have played well in recent years. It is hard to pinpoint what exactly they have to change in order to get that momentum.

Performing on the day perhaps is an issue. Derry qualified for the league final last year but lost to Down. Then they lost to Down and Offaly in the Christy Ring competition and missed out on a place in the semi-finals.

“At the start of last year we were going well before the lockdown. I thought that we were in a really good place. Perhaps the lockdown came at a bad time for us. It was before the league final and the Christy Ring. I thought we were going well. The lockdown came and we didn’t know what we were doing, when we got back we had sort of taken  a few steps back, which was tough, but that’s what it was.”

Yet despite the frustrations of last year, McGilligan believes he and his teammates can improve.

“I don’t think there is a lot to change. We have a lot of good players, from Sleacht Néill, Kevin Lynch’s, Lavey, Banagher, Ballinascreen. We have loads of good players, it is just about us coming together and playing as a team.

“This year there are lots of guys there. Beforehand we were maybe going to the well with the same boys but this year there are more lads from Na Magha, and Ballinascreen and even more younger lads coming in which is not something that I have seen. Now there are loads of young guys coming through and pushing.”

The panel has been open recently and newer players have been welcome and that is one of the reasons why the panel has got stronger. The reasons why Derry may not have achieved their success could come down to attitude.

“I feel like our style of hurling is good, there are just moments in games when we have maybe switched off. If I think back to the Down game last year we were winning but then we got a man sent off and then they caught us with a goal. It is just wee moments. I don’t think there are massive changes needed, we just need a wee push.”

Last year McGilligan was switched to full-back  having  played further out the field for most of his career. He found the move to be a surprise.

“It was a job I was happy to do with the team. I am happy to play anywhere, but I’d prefer to play further out the field. If I was to focus on something it would be to play further out the field. Somewhere I am more comfortable. But as a player all I want is to win things, to win the Christy Ring and get promoted. There hasn’t been too much to celebrate in the past few years. It feels like we have been in the same place for a number of years, and we’d like to push on.”

The new management have come in and are trying to provide Derry with that push.

“It’s tough because the new management are coming in and trying to get things set up in their own style. That has been tough because we have not been able to meet up collectively.”

Lockdown has separated the Derry hurlers and their new management but they have taken an organised approach to their preparations for the new season.

“We have all been in contact and everyone has  been doing their work individually. In fairness to the management they have given everyone individual plans, and running plans and we have been sharing them with the group.

“If I do a run then I will post it to the group and that shows that it is done, and what times I have got. It makes sure that everyone is on track and that when we do return to training that they are coming back in the best shape that they can. We are not going to have a lot of time to get up to speed. It’s about getting everyone in as good a shape as possible.

“To be fair, everything that we have needed, they have got us sorted, whether that be hurling balls or first touch balls, GPS units, weights, they have provided that for us.”

There are positives and negatives to this system of reporting back to the group while isolated. McGilligan said there is a danger that some lads might feel pressure to do the work in their spare time.

“But that’s not the case, it just makes sure that everyone is doing their bit, and are accountable. In fairness everyone has bought into it. Maybe lads are glad that they have structure in their life and in some cases it might keep them sane.

“I know we’d rather meet up as a team. We play Gaelic because we want to be social, so it is tough that way.”