Peter Creedon fears Tipperary football will never reach its potential if players continue to juggle the big ball game with hurling.

Dual star Colin O'Riordan played a Munster U21HC semi-final less than 48 hours before Tipp's heavy All-Ireland football qualifier defeat by Tyrone on Saturday, while Steven O'Brien lined out, despite being injured in a recent U21 hurling challenge game.

"Next year, fellas will have to play nothing but football and park everything else," the departing manager is quoted in the Irish Examiner.

"Colin's legs probably went a little bit in the second half. If Steven (O'Brien) was fit he would have been playing on Thursday night as well. The likes of Tyrone, Kerry and the top football teams, that's their sole concentration.

"It's not an excuse for today, but going forward it's something we have to do to maintain the players energies a little bit better so we can work on their fitness and conditioning. We're a bit like the Dublin hurlers, we're making progress but we have learnt from Kerry and Tyrone we can survive. I know Tyrone beat us by 12 points but we were surviving.

"In my time, we have played Galway, Down, Tyrone and Kerry on numerous occasions and you are learning all the time. I have no doubt the breakthrough will come, it might be a year or two but it will come. Division 2 next year must be a priority."

Explaining his decision to step down after four years as manager, the West Cork native added: "I have 10 or 12 years done between minor, U21 and senior. We have four good years put into it now at senior. I'm starting a new job as principal of a big school and it might be no harm to have a fresh voice.

"We have had some brilliant memories. It's like being involved with an U12 team in your local club, it's the bit of craic among the mentors, it's the bit of banter in the dressing room, that's what I really enjoyed."

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