By Eanna O’Reilly

GALWAY camogie legend Anne Marie Hayes is well placed to assess the county’s chances in Sunday’s All-Ireland Final against Cork.

As one of the greatest ever servants to the maroon jersey during a decorated career, the Killimor native played in four All-Ireland Finals with the county.

Hayes was part of a generation of Galway players who suffered three devastating final defeats before finally reaching the promised land in 2013.

Winning the O’Duffy Cup after years of near misses was the pinnacle of a playing career which saw her collect three All Stars, along with four county championships with Killimor, and an All-Ireland club title in 2011.

Hayes is always described by her former teammates as a natural leader and hugely influential figure in the dressing room for club and county, with the ability to inspire others to success.

These days, she can be seen on The Sunday Game’s camogie coverage and will take up the role once again at Croke Park this weekend. It’s something she enjoys doing and credits the media for helping to raise the profile of camogie in recent years.

‘‘It’s something I definitely enjoy doing,’’ she said. ‘‘You get to see the amount of work that goes into a live match broadcast, and it’s really enjoyable. In fairness to RTE, we have more live camogie matches now than we’ve ever had before.

‘‘It’s great to have that exposure, particularly for the next generation. Young girls now see their heroes and there’s a new level of visibility. My own daughter was in first class this year, and she came home from school with a picture of Niamh Kilkenny to colour in. Things like that show how far we’ve come as a sport in recent years.

‘‘The amount of coverage we have now on The Sunday Game is a huge improvement from what it used to be. You get a different perspective of the game [as an analyst], but I know I’ll be just as nervous as ever on the day. I’ll be chewing on the fingernails and hoping everything goes well for the [Galway] girls.’’

Pictured: Galway player Anne Marie Hayes celebrates with team manager Tony Ward after their All-Ireland Final victory over Kilkenny in the 2013 All-Ireland Final at Croke Park.