Ok, full disclosure, I am in awe of Gaelic footballers.
Their dedication is off the charts, their perseverance is a thing of legend,
they’re the beating hearts of communities up and down the country.
Nothing symbolises this commitment more than a GAA player driving alone to a
big match or a training session.
So I’m going to join them on it, to find out why these players can’t quit.
This is The Drive.
- Hey! - Hi Stefan, how are you?
Lovely to meet you.
- Nice to meet you, Ardal. How are you? - Great.
Are we all set?
Here we go.
So, where are we off to?
We're off to Fitzgerald Stadium.
- How far is that? - Maybe half an hour, in Killarney.
Beautiful ground, beautiful stadium.
Not as nice as Na Gaeil!
Ah, you can't beat Na Gaeil now, in fairness.
Is that your first club, Na Gaeil?
It was actually, yeah. One club, one life.
I was around seven or eight when I first started.
It was more so just to join the community, integrate with the community,
as my parents are foreigners, myself being foreigner as well.
Oh right, where are your parents from?
Moldova and Nigeria. So, neither a footballing stronghold.
It wouldn't be the most popular sport in Nigeria.
- It will be soon. - It will be soon actually, yeah.
After Kerry win the All-Ireland this year.
Yeah, Nigerian Gaels.
Why did you plump for Na Gael particularly?
It just felt natural. Like, once again it all kind of coincides with a feeling of community.
I felt that I was really accepted at Na Gael, great memories where formed there and you are going to do something that you enjoy.
And I suppose you've been playing with the same fellas all the way through.
All the way through, yeah.
There's three of us now on the Kerry team, which is amazing, having your best mates there.
So, you obviously excelled as you got older and older and you ended up taking the very unusual step of going professional and going to the AFL.
How did that come about?
I had my first trial after my Kerry Minor year, went off to Dublin for a combine.
Then, I was invited to Australia for a combine
and I didn't get a contract the first year 'round but the second time 'round I managed to bag a contract.
But was that tough leaving home that first year?
I think the toughest part was being injured over there.
Like, you really felt, I really felt lonely at times, that's
when you really feel lonely because you've got to wait eight hours until you ring your friends and family to tell them I'm injured again.
And of course the homesickness comes into play then once you're injured.
I read that article you wrote for The42 about your experiences with racism.
I had a couple of experiences with racism in Ireland but very, very, very few in the grand scheme of things.
Three on a football field.
And what's that? Rival players verbally abusing you?
Yeah. Three rival players verbally abusing me.
I was playing against a team (I won't name the team) but I was going for a point
and I slotted it over but as I was kicking it, the opposing team member just started making monkey noises.
Jesus.
I couldn't believe what I heard and my brain just blocked it out initially.
I kind of jogged away but before I knew it, my own teammates kind of rustled him up and dealt with him really on my behalf
which I can't respect them more for because I just didn't want to deal with it at all.
But the club was very supportive?
Extremely supportive, yeah. They dealt with everything.
Donal Rooney (who you'll meet soon), he helped me out with everything off field,
pursued that, made sure it was nipped in the bud straight away.
I felt very supported when I wrote that article.
So many of my friends reached out and said "Stefan, I actually didn't realise you went through that".
That's down to me because I was so embarrassed I wouldn't tell my friends.
That was probably the toughest part but
also very pleasing seeing how many of my mates reached out to me after I wrote that article and it made my parents fairly proud as well.
- Do you think it makes you a stronger person? - It does, yeah it does.
Like, having the chats with my parents, teammates,
just knowing they are all there to support me definitely makes me a stronger person.
It's always tricky talking about the racism side of things, you know.
Yeah, yeah, I know because you don't want to be known for that either.
I felt pretty empowered behind a pen and paper you know what I mean?
Writing the articles I found far more easier than talking about it in person.
Yeah, I'm sure like every player you just want your performances to...
Yeah, pretty much speak for themselves, like.
- Have you ever been to the Rose of Tralee before? - No. I haven't.
You'll have to come down this year.
I will yeah. Have you ever been an escort?
Do you know I was looking into it this year, actually!
- Are you serious? - I was looking into it, yeah.
You couldn't have done that in Geelong now.
No, not at all.
Sure, that's why I came home!
- Yeah, no lovely girls competitions over there. - No, not at all.
- The Rose of Tralee tops it. - Yeah.
- Who are we going to meet now? - My first senior coach, Donal Rooney.
Great club man, great coach as well and a great person.
- Hey Donal! - Hey guys, how are ye?
- Hiya, Donal. - Not too bad. What's the craic?
I'm very good, how are you?
- Lovely to meet you. - Nice to meet you, sir.
- Hi Stef, how are you? - Yeah, good good.
- Did you get a fresh haircut? - Ah, of course!
I wouldn't take any more off the top if I was you, though!
No, no, no, no. Trying to get rid of the greys. It's either that or dye it.
Donal, when did you first encounter this man?
I guess at the club when we were in ‘16.
We were in a County final, so he sort of came straight into our panel at that stage.
And do you remember meeting Donal for the first time?
Not quite the first time, but when I knew he was going to be my coach I kind of brushed shoulders with him.
I think we just saw eye to eye pretty early.
I thought he was a great manager, helped me out heaps on field, off field.
Before I went to Australia, for example, he helped me out.
He helped me get heaps of clips together to send to Geelong.
That was massive for me because that was a big point in my life.
What qualities do you think then, like, that Stefan was able to bring to Australia?
What was it the people in Geelong saw in him?
Resilience, I suppose.
Resilience, attitude, sort of how you're going to adapt especially over to Australia,
how you're going to adapt to the circumstances that are there.
How as a sportsperson you're going to get more defeats and more knocks than you are, you know, wins
so it's how you react to that and how you learn really that is what makes these guys
come apart from the crowd and step up really.
Are there ever times like when you feel like packing it all in?
Yeah, it definitely becomes a bit overwhelming at times.
It was a massive lifestyle change from Australia, back into college and all of a sudden I'm playing for my club, county, college team.
There was a few times where I kind of thought 'will I just take a step back for a few months'.
But like, you rock up to training and there are other fellas that are rocking up in their suits coming in from work.
There's nothing financially driving them here other than just pure passion.
Of course, being amongst the group, building that camaraderie and it kinda just made me feel like this is exactly where I want to be.
So this is it. This is where it all happens?
Yeah, pretty much. Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney.
Do you still get that buzz every time you come through here? I’m getting a buzz and I don’t even like Kerry!
- Now, now! It's beautiful, beautiful grounds. We're very lucky now to have it.
I'll leave you to it so. Rather you than me!
- Are you ok? - Yeah, all sweet thank you!
Was thinking ‘I know that guy, there’, I was looking at you the other night on that island where they’re all being murdered.
Oh yeah, Death in Paradise, that’s the one I was telling you about.
- How are you? - Good thanks. Yeah, great. Nice to meet you too.
I'm a Dub living down here.
Oh are you?
Oh God, and you’re telling everyone about it.
But you’re okay? You’re not broken down or anything are you?
No, no, no, no we're just turning around here.
Ah, when I saw you have the double lights on.
- Yeah, no we're all good thank you! - We’re all good.
- I’ll go ahead. - Lovely, you fire away.
- Bye bye. - I’m here too!