Asked why squads pick older players in an Olympic year, he starts with rowing, where the best reach their peak after thirty-five, and triathlon, where it is the same. So why, he asks, does hockey decide at thirty that a player is finished? Experience cannot be bought. The condition is absolute: an older player trading on seniority is out. Read the full write-up of this conversation.
Two players on his slide are the same age, one much bigger than the other, which is the selection trap. Gaelic games research in Ireland found a child born in January, February or March is seven times more likely to be picked than one born in October, November or December, simply for being older and having played longer. Know who your older players are and give the younger ones more chance. Watch the full masterclass: Changing & developing a culture.