Silke’s runs and scores proving a trump card for Corofin

IF there is one player who can light up a game — or turn said game on its head — then it is Galway’s and Corofin’s attacking defender Liam Silke.

A medical student at UCD, Silke undertakes his forays up field with surgical precision, underlined when he cut in behind the Ballintubber defence to goal in Corofin’s recent Connacht SFC semi-final victory. In a game that finished 1-10 to 0-11, Silke’s strike proved to be the deepest cut.

In many respects, the score summed up Liam Silke and what he brings to the game. So many times, he has done this for Corofin and Galway that it marks the designated defender out as one of Gaelic football’s most exciting players.

“Yeah, it is definitely something I try to do,” acknowledges the 24-year-old. “To be able to attack as well as defend is very important, to be able to contribute at both ends of the pitch. It just comes naturally to me; it is not something I think of too much. It is just something that happens in that I start making a run and I am happy enough to keep going forward.

“Thankfully, the (Corofin) players around me are able to cover and we are able to interchange. That makes it a whole lot easier. It can be a little bit of a gamble, but sometimes it pays off. Kevin O’Brien (manager) will always say when we have the ball we are 15 attackers, and when we don’t have the ball we are 15 defenders.

“So, it is encouraged by the management; they are always encouraging everyone to go out and play and express themselves. Also, I think the days of playing at corner back and just staying in the corner are kind of gone. Players can be coached and can be encouraged to be more attack minded, and can be given the licence to go out and do what they think is right.”

While Silke is enjoying his football at present, there are times when he finds it difficult to balance all — be it club and county, or football and his studies. These days approaching Christmas exams are always demanding.

“I am in college in UCD — I have two years left; I am on placement at the moment — and I have exams next week. So, the preparation isn’t ideal,” he notes. “You do get sick of the motorway after a while, but when you are coming home to play with Corofin and win county championships it makes it worthwhile.”

Whenever he finishes up with Corofin in this current campaign, he will return to inter-county duty with Galway. This, too, will place its own demands on him. He admits it can be difficult to carve out a little time and space for himself.

“It is not easy to get a break. It is just the way the GAA season is. It is not ideal, but there aren’t many clubs still going at the moment. So, it is kind of hard to find the right way to manage the calendar that it will work for everyone.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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