TOM McGrattan has heard it all by now – but another scintillating display provided further proof that he is a force to be reckoned with in his own right.
The shadow of dad Gerard will always loom large, especially as he is manager of the Portaferry side his son’s 1-12 haul inspired to a third straight Down title on Sunday.
Indeed, the last time the club claimed a hat-trick of county crowns, between 2000-’02, it was Gerard leading the way.
By then, though, his reputation was already set in stone.
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Gerard was just 20 when a series of buccaneering performances helped the Ardsmen end a 50-year wait for a prized Ulster title, beating old foes Antrim in a memorable final at Casement Park, before becoming Down’s first – and only – hurling Allstar later than year.
Following in such footsteps would be a daunting proposition for anybody. Tom, though, is well used to the talk.
Still just 20, he already has three years under his belt at senior club and county level. And, on Sunday, McGrattan showed he was a chip off the old block, his powerful running and deadly accuracy too hot for Ballygalget to handle.
“I suppose when I was a bit younger, you always used to hear ‘aw, you’re not going to be as good as your dad’,” he said, clutching the man-of-the-match award.
“But you can’t be as good as him, he got an Allstar - I’ll never reach that stage. I’ve watched millions of clips when I was younger, and I remember him playing briefly towards the end of his career.
“I’m not going to lie, it does come to your head because he’s Down’s only ever Allstar, but what can you do? He’s my dad at the end of the day. As long as I keep my feet on the floor, play the way I can… I’m a good player and the boys around me are class.”
After three years studying at Queen’s University, Tom is now back home in Portaferry, father and son under the same roof again, as he finds his feet with First Derivatives in Newry.
Gerard is never comfortable with comparisons, and would go to any length to take outside pressure away. Yet when so much of Portaferry’s attacking play goes through Tom, it is a unique dynamic, and one that requires careful managing.
“It is a balancing act, that’s all I can say,” smiles Gerard.
“You just sort of talk to him like he’s any of the players – you give advice, as a father you always want to give advice, but it’s a balancing act when your son is involved in the game.
“He embraces it well, to be fair. He’s learning and he still has a lot to go and a lot to learn about playing at this level.”
But it must be odd watching somebody who shares so many similarities, at least in terms of style, once the white line is crossed?
“Absolutely, but that’s a different era… it’s a long time ago for me, it’s their time now and that’s what we’ve got to embrace as a club.
“Support that team, get the players through, more younger players on the back of it, get them playing at our club.”
And the Ports’ performances, and rising ambitions, will only aid that recruitment drive.
Last year’s last-gasp Ulster semi-final defeat to eventual champions Cushendall was a bitter pill to swallow, but also proved – after previous provincial mis-steps – that Portaferry could compete on that stage.
It is where Tom McGrattan’s skills belong and, whoever they come up against in the Ulster decider on December 1, he cannot wait for the challenge.
“The past couple of years we probably didn’t believe we could beat Cushendall, or go further in Ulster, but I believe this year everyone in Antrim, everyone in Derry is looking at us as the team to beat. We owe Cushendall one, so we’re going for an Ulster final now.
“We’ve learned from the mistakes… it was tough getting beat, but we’ve come out of that a better team. We came back in January, hard training, and we’re going for an Ulster now. That’s definitely us going for it; we have to.
“There’s no point winning Down three times in-a-row and not going and winning Ulster. Three in-a-row, we’ve shown we’re a good team.”
