Galway's Aidan Poniard NAME: Aidan Poniard DATE OF BIRTH: 22-7-78 HEIGHT: 6' 2" WEIGHT: 13st CLUB: St Mary's, Athenry COUNTY: Galway NOTABLE SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS (GAELIC): County U14 winners 1992; county U16 winners 1994; county Minor winners 1993, 1994, 1995; county U21 winners 1995, 1998; county Senior winners medal 1996, 1998, 1999; All-Ireland club medal 1997; All-Ireland U14 winners (Tony Forrestal 1992); All-Ireland U16 winners medal 1993; All-Ireland Minor runners up medal 1996; All-Ireland U21 runners up medal 1999 NOTABLE SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS (OTHER): Rugby - member of Irish Youth (U18, full back) 1996 (3 caps for Ireland) TOUGHEST OPPONENT: Paul Hardiman FAVOURITE GROUNDS: Croke Park HOBBIES: Snooker, cards, socialising and rugby FAVOURITE POSITION: Centre forward (least favourite position - corner forward) THE WORST PLAYER TO TRAIN THAT YOU KNOW: Myself, by far MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT ON OR OFF THE FOOTBALL FIELD: In an underage county final some years ago, near the end of the game the referee blew for a free. I thought it was the final whistle and celebrated - prematurely. (Nevertheless, we won the game) FAVOURITE PLAYERS: Eugene Cloonan, Joe Rabbitte, Pat Higgins and John Troy (Offaly) INFLUENCES ON YOUR CAREER: Tom Cloonan, PJ Molloy, Pat Nally, Iggy Daly and Brendan Lynskey THE HIGH POINT OF YOUR CAREER TO DATE: Winning All-Ireland Club Championship 1997 BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Losing All-Ireland Minor Final to Tipperary in 1996 OTHER PLAYERS WITH A PROMISING FUTURE: Aidan Cahill, Diarmuid Cloonan and Sean Glynn (all Athenry) WAYS OF IMPROVING THE GAME: Higher goalposts (less confusion about points/wides) DISLIKES ABOUT THE GAA: Over protection given to goalkeepers/the season is too long RELATIVES INVOLVED IN GAELIC GAMES: Sisters - Jenny and Alice (camogie - Athenry and Galway); mother Marion (Secretary Athenry camogie club); in previous years my father and aunts represented Athenry and Galway. My aunts Margaret and Ann were chosen as Galway Camogie Players of the Year in 1974 and 1978 PERSON YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO MEET: Anna Kournikova - just to see how she could return my serve FAVOURITE PERSONAL SAYING OR TERM OF ABUSE: 'Come racing!' PET HATES: Training, Donal Keane's singing, orange juice and all types of fowl FAVOURITE MUSIC: Dance - Maniac 2000 FAVOURITE FILM: Tin Cup, Notting Hill WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WON THE LOTTO: Big house, big car etc. IDEAL DATE: Jennifer Aniston, of course HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED: As an upstanding straightforward all round nice guy; but as that is very unlikely to happen - I'll settle for just not being forgotten Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 17th March 2000 Vol 10 No 11 Tweet

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