Jody Grace Explained

Code:	Hurling
Sport:	Hurling
Jody Grace
Feet:	6
Inches:	0
Occupation:	Farmer
County:	Tipperary
Province:	Munster
Clubs:	Toomevara
Clyears:	1984-1997
Clcounty:	3
Clprovince:	1
Counties:	Tipperary
Icposition:	Goalkeeper
Icyears:	1991-1995
Icapps(Points):	1 (0-00)
Icprovince:	2
Icallireland:	1
Nhl:	1
Allstars:	0
Birth Date:	9 November 1967
Birth Place:	Toomevara, County Tipperary, Ireland

Jody Grace (born 9 November 1967^[1]) is an Irish former hurler. At club level he played with Toomevara, and also lined out at inter-county level with various Tipperary teams.

Career

Grace first played hurling at juvenile and underage levels with the Toomevara club, winning numerous championship titles from under-12 up to under-21 level. He was just 17-years-old when he was part of the Toomevera team that won the Tipperary IHC title in 1984. Grace later won three successive Tipperary SHC medals from 1992 to 1994.^[2] He was captain of the team for the second of these victories, when Toomevara also claimed the Munster Club SHC title before later losing the 1994 All-Ireland club final to Sarsfields.^[3] ^[4]

Grace first appeared on the inter-county scene with Tipperary as goalkeeper on the minor team beaten by Cork in the 1985 Munster final. He later spent one season with the under-21 team. Grace was goalkeeper for the Tipperary junior team that beat Galway in the 1989 All-Ireland junior final.^[5] He earned promotion to the senior team following this victory and was sub-goalkeeper to Ken Hogan when Tipperary won the All-Ireland SHC title after beating Kilkenny in the 1991 final.^[6]

Grace continued as sub-goalkeeper for a number of seasons and claimed a second Munster SHC medal in 1993 before winning a National League medal on the field of play in 1994.^[7] He was first-choice goalkeeper that season and made his only championship appearance in a defeat by Clare. Grace broke a finger prior to the start of the 1995 Munster SHC, an injury which saw him being replaced by Brendan Cummins as goalkeeper.^[8]