Hughes eyes more Croke Park finals for Down
10/09/2010 - 15:24:43Down forward Danny Hughes says his side are adopting a settled approach as their bid for a first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title since 1994 gathers pace, with a final meeting against Cork on Sunday week.
"We are doing what we have been doing for over the last month or so, and hopefully it all works out for us next week," he said.
"People say it is great to see us back in the final, but obviously it has been too long for Down not being there.
"Hopefully, the progress that we have been making in the last year or so will reap dividends and hopefully over the next few years there will be many more trips for us down to Croke Park in August and September."
Hughes has seen action at both left and right half-forward in this year's Championship, while he was also sprung from the bench during the third round qualifier tie against Offaly.
The Saval clubman says he would even take up a position in goal if it meant he would get a starting berth against Cork in the decider.
"Definitely. If you lined out in an All-Ireland final you wouldn't care where you were playing," he admitted.
"Obviously it's great to be in a final and it is something that everyone in the country - it wouldn't matter who it was - would love to be there. We are there now and I'm certainly looking forward to it."
With Down contesting their first All-Ireland final in 16 years there is certainly plenty of hype in the Mourne County at present.
The Ulster Bank accountant says that his side are embracing the hype rather than shielding themselves away from it.
"It's great that the buzz is back in the county and you'll see a generation of young people coming back to Down games and obviously wanting to play for Down themselves.
"That's really all you can ask, that the youth in around Down will try to emulate us and come back some September in their generation too."
Hughes also praises manager James McCartan, the rest of the backroom staff and indeed County Board officials for all channelling positive energies towards the one goal.
"James has won two All-Irelands and All-Stars as well, so he has been there and done that as a player and certainly he has freshened up the management side of it.
"That's not saying that the managers have gone before him weren't equally good at what they did.
"They were, but James has got a great backroom team there in Brian McIver, Paddy Tally and Jerome Johnson.
"Again that has been freshened up with the whole new team there. It bodes well and it's positive around our camp and it's the same right around the Down GAA set-up."
Meanwhile, Hughes indicated that it is too early to call on whether Down captain Ambrose Rogers will feature in the final.
Rogers is continuing his recovery from a cruciate knee ligament injury picked up while in club action with Longstone prior to the All-Ireland semi-final win over Kildare.
"Ambrose is obviously doing bits and pieces. I suppose it's too early to tell at the minute," admitted Hughes.
"We saw last Sunday, I suppose (Henry) Shefflin was in the same kind of boat. It's hard to know to be honest.
"It will be down to the player himself and see how that pans out for him over the next couple of weeks. He's doing a wee bit of bike work in the gym and that, but it's nothing major."
