HALL DOOR REOPENS

Jemar's patience and resolve pays off as game time grows

- PAT NOLAN

LAST year was the pinnacle of Jemar Hall's career and yet he found himself at a crossroads after Armagh's All-Ireland win.

In his ninth season on the county panel, his game time had diminished to almost none. Of the nine matches they played en route to the title, he only featured as an extra-time sub in the Ulster final, which they lost to Donegal on penalties.

Hall didn't even make the 26 for the semi-final and final.

"You just have to put those things to bed and just respect that the boy ahead of you is going to do the job," he says.

"You're just going to go to training and prepare the best you can.

"Your perspective changes. You know you're not going to be playing and you're just trying to get the other boys ready.

"That's what happens in a good team.

Some boys are going to be happy, some boys are going to be disappointed.

"The previous years I would've played a good bit. It's maybe easier because you had played before for a number of years.