It’s a leap that all players must make jumping from talented underage player, but in his case, he accepts, that leap has had to be longer.
Finnerty was just 19 when he was part of the Galway attack that lost to a Con O’Callaghan-led Dublin in the last All-Ireland U-21 final (2017) before the grade switched the U-20.
Now in his 26th year he feels more established than he was even two years ago when he scored four points in Galway’s All-Ireland quarter-final penalty shoot-out win over Armagh in Croke Park.
“Scoring was something that came more naturally to me growing up,” he recalled. “As a minor, I probably didn’t have to develop that as much but physically it does take that good few years to become a senior player.
“It’s that age, 22-23, that lads are breaking into their senior team and I was no different. It took those few years of gym work and learning those small little nuggets. Minor football is a lot different to senior football in terms of how teams set up so I had a lot to learn.”
Finnerty has been enjoying a productive year with Galway, scoring the late goal to defeat Sligo in a Connacht semi-final, hitting 0-8 against Mayo in the provincial final, three from play, and 0-4 (two from frees) against Donegal last time out.
“You’re always looking for ways to improve,” he said. “If I’d spoken to any of my management team about where I could get better, they’d always have said ‘physically maybe you could get that bit stronger.’ So in the off-season that was always something I’d be looking at, trying to get a bit stronger.”
The son of former Mayo footballer Anthony, who contested All-Ireland finals with his native county in 1989 and 1996, the Galway corner-forward credits the influence his father has had on his development as a player.
“He’s been a massive influence,” said Finnerty. “He took my Salthill team the whole way up, John Maher was involved in that team as well. We’re the same age.”
Maher has been a revelation for Galway in 2024 with his robust style winning many admirers. Finnerty said that impact could have come sooner had Maher been of a mind to join the squad when invited.
“With Galway we won two Connacht minor titles together. John was always a massive cog in that team and he went straight into the senior team at Salthill and had an immediate impact. He’s always been a serious footballer. He was asked into Galway panels but didn’t commit because he was doing different things but from the day he did come in, he’s had an impact.
“John would be my best friend growing up so it’s special now that we’re going on this [journey].”
Another coach who gave Finnerty some valuable direction was John O’Mahony, Galway’s two-time All-Ireland winning manager who died earlier this month. O’Mahony managed Salthill-Knocknacarra for the last two years.
“He had a massive impact on me personally,” said Finnerty. “Even just as a person, let alone as a footballer. In Salthill he came in and he almost changed the culture in the club. He had a huge impact on our team in a short period of time and he brought that belief to a dressing-room.
“He played me in a deeper role at Salthill, a playmaking role at times,” said Finnerty who sometimes takes that on for Galway too. He was the first person to do that with me. That’s something he had seen in me that maybe other coaches hadn’t and we spoke a lot about that and about kickpassing. He had a great effect on me,” said Finnerty, a primary school teacher in Shantalla.
