NOTWITHSTANDING all of the fine hurling the fans enjoyed last weekend, the one moment that stands apart for everyone will have been that 9th minute incident in the county senior quarter final at Fraher Field between champions De La Salle and their arch rivals Ballygunner.
A moment of sheer madness if you like, but a moment too when a year of spectacular success and individual brilliance for mighty John Mullane came to a grinding and hugely disappointing end.
First things first and an acknowledgement that referee Pat Casey was absolutely right to brandish the straight red card. Mullane shipped a hefty challenge just seconds before he imploded and he was correctly awarded a free for the misdemeanour on him. What followed however can only be described as a rush of blood on the De La Salle man’s part, and he would take no further part in a game that still failed to produce an outright winner even after twenty minutes of extra time.
Now the report of referee Casey is awaited to determine the length of Mullane’s suspension, but its odds on that he has seen the last action in this championship even were De La Salle to go all the way to next month’s county final.
After the quite magnificent year that he has had for both club and county it’s the saddest and most disappointing ending possible to 2009 for him. He is sure to feature on the short list for the “Hurler Of The Year’’ accolade, and he is assured also of All Star selection come year’s end. He must have been a veritable “shoe in’’ too for the honour of “Waterford Hurler Of The Year’’ but last Saturday may well have put paid to that particular honour.
I suppose there are those outtherewhowillbeonlytoo willing to put the boot in and denounce Mullane for the sendingoff.Butlet’snotforget hismonumentalcontribution to Waterford - -and De La Salle - -over all those years, andletitberememberedalso the deep debt of gratitude he is owed from Deise hurling fans everywhere.
In saying that I am not in any shape or form condoning the incident that resulted in his dismissal. It happened however literally in the blink of an eye, and I’m certain sure no one regretted it more in its immediate aftermath than the great man himself.
What it all means of course is that there will be no John Mullane in the De La Salle team when the champions renew their rivalry with the Gunners in next Saturday’s replay. That’s when the club will feel the impact of his automatic suspension most.
